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From: Irene Bullard
Date: 21 Oct 2011
Time: 13:58:10 -0500
Remote Name: 76.214.57.74
Thanks for your kind comments and great questions. I personally do not like the idea that fluency shaping and stuttering modification should be viewed as being almost mutually exclusive of one another. I do believe there is a place for both, and I think that working on the attitudes toward ones stuttering is very important, exceedingly important for me. However, I have met those people who think that acceptance of stuttering is an abhorrant idea. So that leaves us with the alternative of having to get to know our clients and what is best for them at any particular time in their journey. But it is hard for me not to believe that all PWS would benefit from being able to talk about dealing with attitudes. If you read Paul Goldstein's article and his communications with me in this conference, he has found fluency shaping to be most helpful, but he also shows keen awareness of his own attitudes toward stuttering and has come along way in that respect. There again we all are very different. As far as clinicians helping to creat that "magical moment" to help the client to shift or transform their own personal constructs, as a PWS I really do not know of any such magical moments and I have not worked with stuttering clients. However, I am not saying that this "magical moment" does not exist but for me personally it was/is a long hard process which will probably never end. I probably will always strive to cope a little better, to communicate a little better. I think the most important people in this process for me were those who listened and guided without being judgemental but understood and guided me in some way to see my strengths and power, and allowed me to cry when needed or to laugh with me when appropriate. I wish you all the best in your chosen field, it can be a very satifying one.