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From: Judy
Date: 21 Oct 2009
Time: 21:28:25 -0500
Remote Name: 74.104.112.9
Oh Elsa, you've really hit the nail on the head. We don't really treat stuttering; we nurture children who often have many other issues going on!! Stuttering does not exist in isolation, IMHO. Remember when you first learned that stuttering is likely a combination of genetic predisposition and environment. THIS is the environment! Environmental influences include alcoholic parents, moving to a new school where the child has no friends, siblings who are seriously ill, issues requiring special education, death of a loved one, poverty....If I've ever worked with a student who had stuttering as the only issue, I beleive it was because I was unaware of what else was going on in that child's life. Professionally, you can only treat that which you are qualified to treat. Personally, I believe you are allowed to be a human being who cares for the welfare of another human being. This means addressing anger without pretending to be a psychologist or psychotherapist. This means learning more about the ways in which it is ok to be a mentor. The Stuttering Foundation has a DVD on counseling you might be interested in. I'm sure you've heard of the classic, easy- to-read paperback, "How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk". Also, the Stuttering Foundation has "The School Age Child Who Stutters: Working Effectively with Attitudes and Emotions". I think the bottom line is that, as SLPs, we accept the stuttering child just as he is. We maybe the ONLY people who LISTEN. We listen without giving "the look." The "look" is that negative facial expression they receive from surprised adults, confused peers and disappointed parents. We listen with unconditional postive regard as they stutter through everything they want to say to everyone else and either can't or won't because it takes them too long. Simply offering time in a session for this child to talk may be very helpful to him. Then, he will teach you how to help him. Good luck! Judy :)