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From: Russ Hicks
Date: 17 Oct 2008
Time: 12:18:49 -0500
Remote Name: 70.104.19.41
Hello Alyssa and Heather, I'm glad you enjoyed the paper. .... Regarding the feedback from the clients to the students, that's probably the most difficult part of the interview for the stutterer. We tend to think "critique" and it's not that way at all. The best approach I've found is the evaluation technique from Toastmasters. That's where you do everything you can to point out the STRONG points the student already has (and is typically totally unaware of) like "You have wonderful smile and excellent eye contact! Those qualities are very valuable in helping you communicate with your clients." Build her up give her suggestions for how she can make her communication with her clients even better. Example: "You communicate so well verbally, I'd like to see if you could make some drawings to illustrate your point even more." Whatever you do, the client should NEVER get negative with the SLP. You want her to leave the interview with the feeling of "Hey, I can do this! That was really fun! And that idea of drawing something would have never occurred to me. I'll try that!" This kind of evaluation technique takes a lot of practice, to be sure. But it works! That's why I push Toastmasters so much at our NSA meetings. It helps you in nearly all aspects of your life regarding communicating with other people. .... The more the SLP really KNOWS the person who stutters, the greater the likelihood of successful therapy. I strongly recommend students visit an NSA chapter if at all possible. Go to www.WeStutter.org and click on Find an NSA meeting near you." .... The one thing an SLP should never say to a person who stutters is "No pizza for you!" Ha, ha, ha! Seriously, treat the client as a WHOLE PERSON and not a voice box. A doctor can fix a broken arm by working only on the arm, but an SLP can NEVER fix a stuttering problem by working only on the voice box. .... I wish you both the best in school and in your careers, Alyssa and Heather, and I hope our paths cross some day. ..... Russ