Pausing and Stutttering

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Re: Pausing and Stutttering

From: Peter Reitzes
Date: 22 Oct 2009
Time: 07:45:37 -0500
Remote Name: 165.155.192.86

Comments

Nicole, thanks for writing. You ask, “I was wondering if there is a specific type of stutterer that this [pausing] is best suited for. Is this technique just as effective for children as it is for adults?” I have used pausing with children, teens and adults. Some really like it, some don’t and others want to revisit pausing after stepping back from it. I am going to be careful about the use of the word “effective” because what may sound effective to one person may not feel effective to the speaker. For example, I have had children and adults use pausing in the therapy room and in public to greatly reduce their stuttering. This may sound “effective”, but sometimes the speaker decides that just stuttering is preferable to using pausing (or any other speech tool). I had a very young child once tell me that he liked pausing a lot because it was like using mental commas. However, he was not motivated to use pausing (or any other speech tool) and chose never to do so. I have had similar experiences with some adults who report that when they use pausing, their stuttering is greatly reduced, but they would rather just talk and stutter.


Last changed: 10/22/09