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From: Joke Nyssen
Date: 06 Oct 2010
Time: 03:04:16 -0500
Remote Name: 84.194.227.212
Hi Megan! Thanks for your message. There has been done very little research about the dubble diagnosis, stuttering/autism. My brother is not only autistic, but also has ADHD, sleeping problems and epilepsy. A lot of stuff to deal with, for him as well as for the people working with him. His main problem during therapy was his concentration, being distracted the whole time. And litteraly falling asleep during practise... But there are other examples of people with autism who are very dedicated and strict when practising. My brother is quite an exceptional character :-) For his concentration problems, he found help in taking Rilatine - his learning ability increased with 90%, sort of speak. But then again, he has to take this medicin aside from therapy as well. Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to promote medication (it only helps him to concentrate, not to solve his stammering!). I think the dedication and determination of his speech therapist did help him a lot. That's the most important thing, I think. Keep investing and believing in people, even though it gets difficult. It sounds a bit cheesy, but I really believe this is the key. If you want advice, watch the film and you'll see the effort his speech therapist is making in trying to improve Jef's stammering!