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From: Steve Hood
Date: 10/7/02
Time: 3:38:10 PM
Remote Name: 199.33.133.50
Woops !! Somewhere on here there might be the beginning of this post. I was well into it and we had a power surge. My computer hiccuped, and lost everything, I guess, unless the earlier message is hiding. I'm starting over.
First-- thanks for positive comments about my picture. It was taken on a colleague's boat about 4 summers ago.
Regarding support groups, I think the answer really depends upon the PWS. Some people will benefit and some will not. It may depend upon also on the underying purpose and philosophy of the support group: e.g., is it a structured group with it's own set of subgoals for members (e.g., a place to work on speech and fluency shaping targets, or stuttering modiciation skills?) For example, the kind of group meeting that might be conducted by an SLP to work on therapy techniques might be far different from the type of group that is set up and operated by PWS without a "therapy agenda." It might make a difference if the philosophy was **self-help** as compared and contrasted with **support group.** It might also make a difference in terms of where the individual PWS is on his road to improvement. The PWS just beginning therapy might have different wants and needs and aspirations as compared to what he might want some years later, when he is well along his road to improvement.
In our Mobile group, for example, we have a man who has been with the group since its inception back in the mid 1980's. Back then, he attended because he got a lot out of it.... And he still does. But now, he says he attends because more and more, he also wants to be able to give back to others, some of the insights he gained for himself, back in the early days.
Regarding the other part of Chris' question. I've seen it go both ways. Some people become more fluent in these settings because of the support and encouragement, etc.-- because of being with other PWS, and not feeling the inner need to be fluent, or hide and conceal and cover hp the stuttering... For others, it is just the opposite, and they become uncomfortable around their fellow brothers and disters of the tangled tongue.
I'll be interested to read what others have to say.
Cheers and best regards, to all.