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From: John Tetnowski
Date: 10/6/03
Time: 11:26:10 AM
Remote Name: 130.70.137.156
Maryann,
I have certainly seen many clinicians who fear working with clients who stutter. I think the fear comes from lack of clinical training experiences in stuttering. Let's face it, fluency is a low incidence group. Most (or many) SLP's enter the work force with very little experience in many areas (fluency included). If the major professor preaches one method, that's what many students will practice. This is obviously what you are bringing up. Hopefully, those of us who teach will provide a broad knowledge base of fluency treatment methods, and not just "what worked for them". In addition, the training programs are bound to teaching the masses for the job market. As the field grows, we are driven further away from the lower incidence populations (like fluency), and train more students in the areas that are "hot" (like swallowing, literacy, autism, etc.). Unfortunately, areas like fluency suffer. My wish is that training programs would specialize more. If you go to University A, you come out as a specialist in fluency, early language, and literacy. If you go to University B, you become a specialist in aphasia, brain injury, and dysphagia. This would give students and professionals a choice, rather than all programs creating generalists in an ever increasing scope of practice. We can't continue to try to teach it all. I think ASHA's new policies on training may allow for this flexibility.
Let me know what you think. I would love to hear from others as well!
John Tetnowski