Some Thoughts on Stuttering Therapy

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


Re: How do you tell a client to be prepared for a long run?

From: Dave Williams
Date: 21 Oct 2008
Time: 09:23:14 -0500
Remote Name: 71.228.93.115

Comments

Good question, Wendy. You'll have to explain to the client that his stuttering (probably) took a long time developing, and it can't be eliminated overnight or by any short-term therapy plan. It involves years of learning speech patterns, struggle and avoidance behaviors, and emotional reactions of fear/anxiety as he anticipates and then actually experiences a stuttering block. All this unpleasantness requires a lot of unlearning, and then learning of desirable feelings and behaviors. This relearning takes a great deal of practice and reinforcement before it becomes learned and habitual and "natural." So far as I know, no short-term "intensive" therapy plan can do the trick. Hope this helps answer your question!


Last changed: 10/21/08