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From: Kevin O'Neill
Date: 09 Oct 2012
Time: 14:46:38 -0500
Remote Name: 24.18.229.12
Thanks for your comments. There are definitely subtleties to consider when talking about the psychology of stuttering. I do believe that developmental stuttering typically has a physiological cause, but I question why we gloss over the fact that many children naturally stop stuttering, and that adolescents and adults who stutter develop counterproductive avoidance habits and secondary behaviors which are the most salient characteristics of their communication disorder. Part of this is a narrow definition of stuttering that ignores emotional and cognitive factors (see Jackson et. al.'s "What is stuttering: Revisited" in ISAD2012). A big realization for me was that stuttering itself has characteristics of a secondary behavior or avoidance technique, and that with appropriate rate reduction and relaxation I can speak with "natural disfluency" that neither I nor my listeners perceive as a communication disorder. Basically, I think that stuttering therapy for adults should focus primarily on cognitive and emotional aspects (especially avoidance), with speech mechanics like relaxed breathing and reduced rate playing a secondary role. Fluency-shaping techniques don't hold up outside the therapy room if one doesn't have the confidence not to revert to old habits under pressure.