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From: Gene
Date: 10/17/03
Time: 11:45:50 AM
Remote Name: 24.233.173.179
Dear Christina:
Thank you for your interest in the CPS Syndrome.
In response to your question: As you know, one out of every five children who stutter will have to deal (cope) with their fluency probem for most, if not all, of their lives. Obviously, clinicians working with children need to be aware of this possibility if they are to set appropriate functional treatment goals. It would be nice if we had the tools to differentiate at an early age which of our disfluent kids are experiening the CPS Syndrome. Although we have some tools to help us in identifying such children (e.g., The Cooper Chronicity Prediction Checklist - in the "Cooper Personalized Fluency Control Therapy Program - Adolescent and Adult Version - 2003 ProEd), many times we cannot, with certainty, identify those children. That is one of the reasons that setting appropraiate treatment goals is so critical when working with those who stutter.
We found early-on that setting an arbitrary "frequency of stuttering" goal was inappropriate. Recognizing that stuttering is a syndrome with characteristic affective, behavioral, and cognitive components,we chose to focus on developing the "feeling of fluency control" as being the endgoal of treatment. In doing so, we avoid the trap of focusing exclusively on the frequency of stuttering.
As children mature and become capable of conceptualizing and giving words to their thinking, we trust they will be viewing their stuttering in a realistic manner. By having focused on the feeling of fluency control as our treatment goal, we will have assisted those children in addressing the affective, behavioral, and cognitive components of the problem.
Christina, I hope this rambling has been responsive at least a little bit to your questions. If not, don't hesitate to pursue your questioning on line or off (ebcooper@msn.com).
Best wishes.
Gene