[ Contents | Search | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: Vivian Sisskin
Date: 19 Oct 2009
Time: 23:32:49 -0500
Remote Name: 74.96.111.58
Ari, Great question! Here’s my take on it: I feel that ALL of these things are tools. Desensitization is a tool to reduce fear and reactivity, fluency shaping (enhancement) strategies are tools to change the speech signal to produce non-stuttered speech, and stuttering modification strategies are tools to change the way one stutters. Speech tools, like all tools, do the job best when used properly and for the purpose they were intended. Imagine using a power saw to cut a fingernail! Sometimes when tools don’t work, it’s because the person lacks a clear rationale for their choice of tool. For example, voluntary stuttering can be used to show oneself as a PWS when s/he does not have to. However, if it is used on stuttered speech, it can become a way to avoid another form of stuttering, resulting in a tense prolongation that becomes a new feature of the person’s stuttering pattern. Or another example: An easy onset, when used properly, can prevent stuttering during a transition to phonation, but if used to “fix’ a moment of stuttering, it can lead to gasping and speaking on inhalation as a new feature of the stuttering pattern. The bottom line… you might want to consider all the tools available and how best to use them safely and effectively.