The Prof is In

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Re: Preschool Stuttering & Awareness

From: Lynne Shields
Date: 21 Oct 2011
Time: 10:57:00 -0500
Remote Name: 68.188.68.2

Comments

Caitie, I don't see this as a 'should I' or 'shouldn't I' issue, really. During the initial evaluation, I interview the child to ascertain whether or not he/she is aware of the stuttering on any level. If they are, and identify this (e.g., "I get stuck sometimes"), then I'm perfectly comfortable talking about this with the child in therapy. I use the same term for stuttering that the child used. If they seem unaware, I'm not sure what is gained by telling the child. Rather, I focus on talking about good talking skills--being a good listener, thinking about what to say before starting to talk, etc. Your second question relates to what type of treatment I recommend for preschoolers. Again, this depends quite a bit on the age of the child, their level of awareness, and the parents' wishes. I begin with indirect therapy for many young children, helping the parents determine ways of interacting with their child that reduces communicative stress. Therapy can be modified to increase the level of direct engagement of the child in using a skill, varying from my commenting when I see the child take a turn or allow someone else to take a turn, up to requesting that they say something the way I modeled it. Hope this is helpful. Regards, Lynne


Last changed: 10/22/11