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From: Pam Mertz
Date: 30 Sep 2010
Time: 10:27:42 -0500
Remote Name: 163.153.6.70
Yep, the word fluency can be so misleading and covers up what people really think or feel. I chatted with a SLP who stutters the other night and she kept using the word fluency. I asked her what she meant. She said it was a topic or theme that SLPs study and she thinks of it as a catogory. I asked her what did it really mean to her. She said, "not stuttering". I agree with you - we really need to say what it is we are talking about, as a way to get closer to emotions surrounding stuttering. As you may recall, Peter, I began to have a problem with a therapy group I was attending because it was called "Fluency Council", yet not one of us is fluent. I think clear language is very important - it gives us permission to call a spade a spade. Certainly your suggestion that clinicians encourage people they work with to use descriptive language is great. A lot of people just don't seem comfortable with that . Great paper and points. Even a lay-person such as myself got exactly what you are talking about. You always offer great insight!