[ Contents | Search | Post | Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: Lynne
Date: 18 Oct 2008
Time: 14:22:26 -0500
Remote Name: 76.215.118.209
Dorinda, This client's situation will give you a good brain workout! Does he enjoy and have access to email or instant messaging? If he is interested and the parents are informed, the two of you can keep in contact between sessions via one of those two methods. You can send him 'questions for the day' to respond to on the topic of stuttering (or any sort of trivia questions regarding areas of interest to him, for variety); he can email you one thing that went well regarding his speech each day; ways to perhaps where you can give him support more than just in the clinic room. If he has a favorite cousin/grandparent/etc., you might check with him to see if he'd be interested in emailing information about stuttering to them, or find different ways for him to engage with people who are important to him on the topic of his stuttering--facts he has learned, things he is working on, etc. If his mother is supportive, she might be engaged in this. These are just some brainstorming ideas--you and your supervisor can come up with other ways to do this, perhaps, that allow you to expand your support beyond the clinic setting. If you are seeing this boy in your campus clinic, the two of you might go out and explore trying voluntary stuttering, using his easy speech to order a candy bar from the bookstore, etc., so he can experience transfer skills with you. As I suggested to another person, taking efforts to comment on positive interactions that you see either parent doing with their son may help them find ways to be a positive support to their son. I wish you the best as you work out some creative ways to help this boy feel empowered to manage his stuttering in the presence of relatively little support outside. Regards, Lynne