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From: Russ Hicks
Date: 10/8/03
Time: 5:21:23 PM
Remote Name: 12.237.88.139
Hi Kerri,
Thanks for you comments.
Actually the iceberg - in all of it's "glory" - is more prominent in adult stutterers than it is in children. But as an SLP working with children, you definitely need to be aware of what is "downstream" unless you can intervene.
As Woody Starkweather pointed out above, the main job of the SLP in the schools should be the PREVENTION of the ice CUBES in young children from growing into ice BERGS in adults!
One kinda scary unknown here - and we are just beginning to learn a few things about it - is just HOW and WHEN the iceberg begins to grow. Clearly it doesn't grow in the 3 out of 4 children who recover from childhood stuttering, but especially in the case of COVERT children stutterers - who may totally escape detection. But it's extremely important to work with them at the earliest possible time to prevent that small iceberg from growing to the point of ruining their lives. The trick is to learn how to detect these children... I wish I had an insight into this...
It's really not unlike most diseases such as cancer. Detected early, it may not be hard to cure. But if it's stage 4 at detection time, you're got a heck of a problem on your hands.
I've said for a long time - and still believe it - that we may never be able to CURE (adult) stuttering, but we may very well be able to PREVENT it from developing. That's where you come in.
I wish you the very best. Thank you for dedicating YOUR life and YOUR career to MY cause. I love you for that...
Russ