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From: Retz
Date: 19 Oct 2010
Time: 11:28:24 -0500
Remote Name: 205.213.113.52
John - your observations re: public school therapists and public school therapy for children who stutter is very thought provoking to me. ASHA requires no coursework or clinical practicums in the area of fluency disorders in order to receive the certificate of clinical competence (CCC-SLP). Many university undergrad & graduate programs do not require any coursework or practicums in fluency disorders as well. It is my experience that there is little, if any, serious discussion or coursework re: "ethics" or "effects of no ethics" in the setting of university training programs. Many many graduating SLP's with and without their CCC's go out and routinely give "therapy" to CWS in the public schools. In my interactions with parents who are smart enough to get into Support Groups for those who stutter, the parents often say that State Department of Public Instruction and school districts routinely tell parents of children who stutter that because a public school therapist has their CCC's and/or state license, that they are qualified to do therapy. Often, the SLP's in the schools will attend a 2 day to 3 week "training" in the area of stuttering, and return believing they are now "experts". The concept of "referring out" is a heavily discouraged action and an employment ending decision for a school based therapist with guts enough to make it. It is a serious quandary for parents of CWS, as well as for the overall outcome for that child who stutters. Some in the professional field look at the revealing and discussion of this fact as "ragging"...Others look at it as a "disgrace of a profession." Some in the profession seek honors offered by/through the profession...Some seek for the field to be honorable. Some in the profession see/hear only the "stutter"...others see the child who stutters. Bob Quesal has spoken quite often about what he sees as the two camps in the area of fluency disorders - one camp is the "touchy feelies" who look at the whole person who stutters ...Others are what he called "Fluency Bigots." It is, to me, a serious problem that is for whatever reason not addressed by the profession. That being said, some professions do what is best for the clients they are privileged to serve; Some professions serve their professionals. Parents of a child who stutters are the child who stutters best hope...To me, it is worth "ragging" about until it is resolved in the manner for the best of those of us who stutter.