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From: Scott
Date: 02 Oct 2012
Time: 10:50:51 -0500
Remote Name: 150.212.113.243
Hi Ariel - yes, I'm afraid it's true that many SLPs have not had extensive experience with stuttering, whether in school or out of school. This contributes to their discomfort because they feel like it is very different from what they do on a regular basis, and so they feel that they aren't getting the chance they need to practice and improve. One of the things that Nina and I have focused on in our writings is that, while there are definitely skills that are specialized for the treatment of stuttering, much of what the SLP needs to know and do for people who stutter is THE SAME as what they do for people with other communication disorders. Thus, basic skills like listening, modeling, reflecting, practice, use of hierarchies, generalization - all of these are fundamental to the treatment of stuttering AND to the treatment of everything else we see as a field. So, if a clinician has solid skills in these areas (and she should ;-), then she can adapt them to the evaluation and treatment of stuttering, even if she does not frequently see children who stutter. The key to successful stuttering treatment in our opinion is being a great clinician, not so much knowing about stuttering. Of course, there is a certain amount of key background information that is important to know, but this can be gained through a good book on stuttering and a helpful mentor. Hoping this helps! Scott == Disclosure: Nina and I are the authors of exactly the type of book I'm recommending above ;-)