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From: Dave Williams
Date: 21 Oct 2008
Time: 08:51:04 -0500
Remote Name: 71.228.93.115
As I understand your question, Michelle, you are askingh how to shift a client from fluency shaping therapy to a stuttering modification approach. Basically, you just tell him, talk about it. You explain to him that the goals include his understanding as much as possible about himself and his stuttering problem, his feelings and his motivations. He must be honest and realistic about himself, and realize that it is his responsibility to carry out (with your guidance and support) various changes in his stuttering behavior that are aimed at his learning to stutter in a slower, easier, smoother way. He must learn not to fear stuttering, to accept it as something he does, a problem that can be worked on, rather than an integral part of his self, his personality. He must cease trying so desperately hard to avoid stuttering (something he's been doing all his life) because obviously it can't be done, and it has only added to his problem. If he can make progress in all these things, he is ready to learn specific behaviors that modify and lessen his stuttering. As I write this, I have Charles Van Riper, Wendell Johnson, Joseph Sheehan, and others of that type as model therapists. I hope I have provided a reasonably good answer to your question. Best wishes!