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From: Ellen-Marie Silverman
Date: 10/8/03
Time: 2:00:39 PM
Remote Name: 172.141.158.233
Hello, Nellie,
You ask whether my approach to speech therapy as a speech pathologist has changed since I studied my own stuttering. A quick answer is, "No!" Let me explain: My therapy and research focus has always been on prevention. Early on in my studies, in fact, as an undergraduate, I decided I wanted to work to prevent the disorder in children, recognizing how unresolved stuttering problems can cantort an individual's life and how intransigent they can be for adults. My approach to prevention, which involves involving caregivers and/or skill-building in children coupled with encouragment to communicate orally has not changed at all, except in one dimension that is more a factor of maturity than anything else --- I feel less driven and more patient and, therefore, able to work with others.
I hope this helps. Thanks for your insightful question!
Ellen-Marie Silverman