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From: Lou Heite
Date: 10/17/02
Time: 12:17:10 AM
Remote Name: 24.237.150.251
Dear Lisa:
One of the most important principles of any kind of therapy is that the therapist must meet the client where he is, not where the therapist wants him to be. There are a lot of things I could have done with Adam and will do if he ever wants to. But until he decides for himself that therapy will provide something that he can't do for himself, all the technique practice in the world will have little to no permanent effect on his stuttering.
If Adam had been reluctant to speak, or an ineffective speaker (he is very effective!), or if he had some other negative effect from stuttering that impacted on his ability to perform in school or socially, I would have taken another approach and worked very hard to keep him in direct therapy, like it or not. In fact, I do have just such a client in another school. That young man's therapy is continuing, with the goal of making him more open and willing to speak. I'm prepared to wait him out, stare him down, and help him learn to deal with something he would rather never acknowledge. Different kid, different problems altogether.
Your comment also suggests that one can completely eliminate stuttering. Eliminating the stuttering is not often a realistic goal, while developing effective communication skills is. That is particularly true when dealing with teens and adults. Also, too much emphasis on eliminating the stuttering can backfire. When I was in training, I worked with an eighth grader who stuttered mildly. My practicum supervisor said that he had made great strides in controlling the stutter. One day when she was out of the room I asked him if he ever tried to avoid words that he might stutter on. "Yes, but only in here," he said. "I don't want her to fuss at me." The point, of course, is that the young man's progress was an illusion.
Now, what do I want for Adam in the future? I don't expect him to be a happy stutterer all his life. Sooner or later - and I've told him this to his face - he will want to improve his speech. He acknowledges that stuttering can be awkward even if it need not be a barrier to good performance or a happy life. Some time, probably in the next ten years or so, he will want to return to therapy. When he does, he will have his own clear goals, and he will likely make enormous, genuine progress. I hope I'm around when he does that, because I want to be able to tell him, "Told'ja so!" But until he makes that decision on his own, he might as well use his time for the things that interest him.
Lou Heite