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From: Ed Feuer
Date: 11 Oct 2010
Time: 09:24:36 -0500
Remote Name: 142.161.164.98
Problem is that the fears are realistic. The consequences can be grim in the form of unfair social and vocational discrimination. Unfortunately, SLPs tend to ignore that other side of the equation: listener reaction. I recently came across a study entitled "Jobs, Sex, Love and Lifestyle: When Nonstutterers Assume the Roles of Stutterers" by Jianliang Zhang, Tim Saltuklaroglu, Monica Hough and Joseph Kalinowski. (Folia Phoniatr Logop 2009;61:18–23 DOI: 10.1159/000187621) found at http://content.karger.com/produktedb/produkte.asp?typ=pdf&file=000187621 The abstract says says the study assessed the impact of stuttering via a questionnaire in which 91 fluent individuals (university students) were asked to assume the mindset of persons who stutter in various life aspects, including vocation, romance, daily activities, friends/social life, family and general lifestyle. The study found that listener biases and perceptions were only too real — which people who stutter know from their daily lives. SLP profs and students might wish to remember pseudostuttering assignments given to students and the sabotaging and attempts to minimize these assignments. So what are the implications for treatment? It tells me that given what PWS are and have been up against, genuine desensitization is critical and crucial in effective treatment. It means that desensitization cannot be the traditional token affair. Genuine desensitization would see SLPs working together with clinical psychologists with expertise in systematic real-world desensitization to help stuttering clients achieve the necessary desensitization, healing and strengthening. — edfeuer@mts.net