Office Hours: The Professor is In

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Re: Animating stuttering

From: Ellen-Marie
Date: 10/6/03
Time: 7:40:36 AM
Remote Name: 172.129.243.67

Comments

Ed,

I think we both are interested in the same outcome, that people who stutter learn to speak in such a way as to feel free to concentrate more on what they want to share rather than on whether or not their speech mechanism will allow them to do that. Concentrating on speaking fluently more (I wish I could underline the word "more") than being vigilant for signs of stuttering when engaged in speaking helps in that regard. This is not (I wish I could underline "not") to say that in a program of change analyzing the act of stuttering is unhelpful. It is inded and should, as Van Riper insisted, be an integral part. But "part" is the key here, Ed. It is part of the program. I believe studying and strengthening fluent speech is, too, and, maybe, a bit more important because it strengthens the ability to do what one wishes to do. A, perhaps, not so complete analogy of the relationship of the two is when, in football, a wide receiver studies a game film in preparation for playing in the game to follow. He may realize he had been running too far from the sideline to allow the quarterback to safely get the ball to him. He corrects that tendency and makes more complete catches the following week because, having eliminated the tendency to interfere with his pass reception responsibiity and noting all else was right with his game, he, with confidence, strengthened what he had been doing, i.e., route running, etc. to go about doing a good job on the field.

Analyzing stuttering is necessary and helpful as it allows freedom from the grip of fear and anxiety stuttering can have when it is an unknown. Studying the actual stuttering "brings the monster out of the closet" into daylight where it is no longer so fearsome or even fearsome at all and can then be tamed. Knowledge one has the ability to do this, of course, will reduce one's general level of speech anxiety. So, it is in the study of both fluent speech and stuttering that ultimately proves maximally helpful.

I'm sure I've said nothing new to you, Ed. I just wanted to be clearer about what I believe.

Ellen-Marie Silverman


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