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From: elise goodman
Date: 07 Oct 2012
Time: 09:02:05 -0500
Remote Name: 76.24.94.137
Hi, I really enjoyed your article and your personal thoughts about your stuttering experiences. Van Riper long ago commented that, "stuttering is what the person who stutters does to prevent from stuttering." I gather you are very clear on that from your own experiences. I have a cousin who is now in his 70s whose stuttering has significantly improved over the years that I have known him. When I asked him several years ago what he thought led to his improved speech control, he commented, " I stopped caring about fluency." I got what he was saying. Once the PWS can get to a place where fluency is NOT the goal, but rather effective, happy communication....the self imposed pressure to be fluent....decreases and speech control increases. Also, your comment about "vigilance." When my clients and I work on fluency enhancing techniques, the vigilance is a part of feeling for the tightness and tension through the speech musculature....It's not looked upon as vigilance for fluency. That's why I think a slower speaking rate allows for time to FEEL the tension and reduce it, or do a cancellation, or pull-out, etc. This gives the PWS added control over his speech...To me, that's what it's all about. Many thanks for sharing your experiences. Those of us on the clinical side of things benefit so greatly from the personal thoughts and feelings of folks who stutter. elise