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From: Geoff Johnston
Date: 06 Oct 2011
Time: 17:06:03 -0500
Remote Name: 120.16.86.17
Hello Kimberley. Thank you for your question. I have no formal speech pathology qualifications. The only qualifications I have is 60+ years as a chronic stutterer who has gained control of my stutter and living the life I want to. In my role as a Regional Director of the McGuire Programme for over 10 years I have worked closely with over 1,000 people who stutter. I'm writing this note from a convention room in Sydney during the second day of a McGuire 4-day intensive course. The room is a-buzz with 14 new students and around 40 returning graduates from all over Australia and New Zealand, some returning to strengthen their own recovery but many just here to help and support the new students. Everyone is happy and speaking well. Does all that qualify me to comment on stuttering? I believe so! Regarding ongoing research, most definitely yes. It seems to me that we still know so little about stuttering and the speech pathology profession struggles to provide effective tratement particularly for adults who stutter. Evidence of that is the never-ending supply of new students into the McGuire Programme. Here in Oz 92% of our students have previously been treated by speech pathologists. I pray for the day when treatment for children will be so effective I'll be out of a job.