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From: Joelle, college senior, stutterer
Date: 21 Oct 2008
Time: 22:04:51 -0500
Remote Name: 216.158.163.6
I’m wondering if one of you (Ryan, probably) could comment more on the neural systems responsible for the initiation/execution of speech. I’m a stutterer who's used DAF in speech therapy before, and, like most (all?) other stutterers I know, I am magically far more fluent when I am using DAF, choral reading (e.g. Pledge of Allegiance) or reciting something I’ve memorized. From what I’ve read and from my very basic understanding of neuroscience I’ve gotten the impression that the reason for this “magic” fluency is simply that there are separate mechanisms behind normal, everyday speech, and the different sort of cadence for singing/reciting. So, a device like the SpeechEasy simply has a stutterer switch modes and tricks their brain into using the mechanisms for singing/reciting (which are unaffected by whatever causes stuttering). I’m wondering if there’s been any research done (PET scans?) on choral reading and the point at which the brain “realizes” it’s being tricked and adapts to using the ordinary speech mechanisms, resulting in dysfluent speech again even with continued DAF. Could you point me in the direction of these studies (perhaps department websites, or individual people)? What sort of research are you conducting? (Tangentially: Do you know if there’s any recent psychopharmacological research on stuttering?) I’m also wondering why this issue isn’t a bigger part of the conversation on stuttering (and SpeechEasy), and if SLPs in general are aware of/involved in this sort of research. Most speech therapy techniques are a nice bag of tricks to have and I think a DAF device of some sort can be a useful tool (or lifesaver for severely dysfluent stutterers) - it would just be nice to have a better understanding of how/why/how long they work. Thank you for this article (and sorry for the last-minute comment)!