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From: Mike Lefko
Date: 24 Oct 2012
Time: 20:54:26 -0500
Remote Name: 74.250.190.170
Stephanie- Your answers below: I was curious if you feel more confident now about your speech not just in therapy but outside of therapy, working with this Speech Therapist? I definately have been able to make the consistent transfer outside of the therapy situation where I never did in the past. What do you think is the main reason you have been drawn to him and feel more successful working with him? Initially, I was drawn to him because he was a PWS. I found it unique in my experience to find a speech therapist that I had the opportunity to work with who share some of my life's experiences. It turned out to be much less significant as we got to know each other. That is to say i don't believe you need to be a PWS as a therapist to help a PWS. What worked for me is he believed in me, and we worked and work as a team. He has helped me find success, and build a foundation upon success that supports me, whereas before I only had a foundation of past failures to stand upon. Also of the jobs you've listed in your story, which did you find the most difficult and which have you found to be "the job for you". That depends upon what phase of my life I am talking about. There was a time early in my teaching career when I was not in therapy and was very disfluent. It was difficult to see myself as a professional when i couldn' get a word out sometimes. So I don't think it is jobs, as much as where I was in my life, and my speaking. When I was in work situations where i didnt feel confident or their was conflict, i found that to be a challenge to my self esteem, and self confidence, which manifested itself in my speech. You seem so motivated with your speech therapy but are there any parts of your progress that you find most difficult? At this point, the biggest challenge i am finding, is truly hearing how i sound when I perceive that I am fluent. I know i have to work on phrasing, even when I am fluent, because my speech at times can sound choppy. I don't yet hear that on my own. So that is my greatest challenge now, so that i can fine tune my fluency to not only be fluent but be an effective and dynamic speaker. I am moving to the next level. What have you done differently with this therapist you are working with now than previous therapists? Again, just the personal touch. The holisitic focus on me, and not just my stuttering seems to have made a huge difference.