The Prof Is In

[ Contents | Search | Post | Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]


Re: voluntary stuttering

From: Peter Reitzes
Date: 13 Oct 2008
Time: 16:21:02 -0500
Remote Name: 69.22.250.24

Comments

Steve, there are numerous reasons to use voluntary stuttering. Here are a few: To reduce your fear of speaking and stuttering (desensitization), to practice speaking strategies such as pull-outs or cancellations, to practice stuttering with eye-contact, to practice staying in the moment and listening to others while stuttering, to stutter without shame, to set a model for how you want to stutter such as stuttering easily with eye contact and to demonstrate to others that stuttering is not shameful. You ask, “voluntary stuttering should be made progressively more like one's old way of stuttering. Why is this?” Perhaps someone was suggesting to you that a person may begin stuttering easily as a child and that voluntary stuttering should return the speaker to this easy manner of stuttering. I have heard this said before. Many people who stutter begin using secondaries near onset (maybe even at onset). So I think it is a myth to say that stuttering begins easily. However, that being said, I have no problem with voluntary stuttering being used to model or practice easy, forward moving stuttering. I just also know that voluntary stuttering has many other uses as well such as hard or noticeable stuttering for desensitization purposes.


Last changed: 10/13/08