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From: Lynne Shields
Date: 15 Oct 2012
Time: 01:33:39 -0500
Remote Name: 86.163.102.46
Dear Sarah, Although we are learning much about causes of stuttering in recent years, we don't yet know what causes it for everyone. Even though it is not likely that tickling or a handedness switch actually caused stuttering to develop in the first place, I would never tell someone that they are wrong. Whatever a person tells me that they believe caused their stuttering, I accept at face value. I don't know, for sure, that it did not play a role, even if I have my doubts. And, remember any time when someone has tried to convince you that a belief you hold strongly is wrong; how well did that work out? I'll bet you were not convinced to change your belief. I do believe it is important to educate children and adults who stutter about the disorder, including what we know about causes. I include that within a broad-based education effort that includes learning what stuttering is/is not, how the speech system works, what the person does when they stutter, etc. If a client asks me what I think about their notion of causality, I am honest in saying that (if it is the case) I know of no research that has supports that cause, reiterating that there is much we do not yet know about stuttering. Regards, Lynne