[ Contents | Search | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: Anelise J. Bohnen
Date: 02 Oct 2012
Time: 14:46:12 -0500
Remote Name: 187.107.57.39
Hi Rachael, thank you so much for your very good questions. 1. The intervention strategies were very effective. Motor exercises were helpful when performed in a specific time. Each movement is done for 4 seconds. Let's say you are working with the base of the tongue. So, I will ask you to point the tip of tongue towards your nose. You have to maintain this position for 4 seconds. Then you must turn your tongue towards your chin and stay there for more 4 seconds. Repeat these 2 movements in sequence (keep up the pace) for 5 times. This will improve your perception of this area. 2. These exercises are helpful but certainly are not enough to improve stuttering. There are many other factors involved in stuttering, as you know. For instance, the fiberoptic examination allows me to see which phonemes are more troublesome. We will then study which movements are necessary to perform in order to produce one specific sound in a relaxed way. Once the client understands how the sound is produced (long, short, voiced, voiceless, what moves, etc.) he begins to act upon it. Ultimately, we will find that the abnormal movements subside. 3. If we choose a program, I understand that it must be followed according to the rules, right? Otherwise, evidences are compromised. In the cases reported here, I worked with processes instead of programs. Therapeutic processes are developed specifically for each client. It is ruled by principles. I found that processes produce better results and clients are able to maintain fluency for longer periods. If you are interested in some results, please watch these videos in the address bellow. You will see how nicely they are speaking, even though the language is Brazilian Portuguese. The ones you will see are not the same clients reported here in this paper, but went through the same principles. http://www.gagueira.org.br/conteudo.asp?id_conteudo=248 Thank you!