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From: Elizabeth S. Sliver
Date: 10/16/03
Time: 3:30:43 PM
Remote Name: 64.12.96.77
My name is Elizabeth Sliver, and I am graduate student studying speech-language pathology at West Virginia University. I am currently enrolled in an advanced stuttering course, so much of what you explained in your paper helped to enhance my knowledge and understanding of treating children (specifically preschoolers) who stutter. We have discussed this very issue of whether or not treatment should be implemented for very young children who stutter considering the high recovery rates. However, on a personal level, my three year old brother began stuttering last February. After he had been stuttering for a few months, he began to use accessory behaviors, one of which was eye blinks. At that time, I adivsed my father and his wife to seek a professional evaluation (and possibly treatment) for my brother. I felt that it would be best for them to seek treatment sooner than later in case my brother was one of the children who would not recover on his own. My father chose to adopt a "wait and see" approach, and luckily, my brother did recover without formal treatment (although I tried to use slow speech with him and give his parents some advice about their speech behaviors as well.) Overall, I appreciate your advice and expertise as a professional in this matter. I greatly benefitted from reading your summaries based on current literature/treatment methods! Do you think that we will ever have concrete guidelines as to when to treat and when not to treat? (I am wondering about this as a student getting ready to enter into the workforce!!!) I enjoyed reading your paper, and I anticipate your reply!