Conversation Between Van Riper and Sheehan

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Re: Van Riper and Sheehan

From: Gene Cooper
Date: 22 Oct 2004
Time: 15:43:19 -0500
Remote Name: 24.233.173.179

Comments

Lee: I've been advised that my response to your comments did not "take." Sorry about that. I can't remember what I wrote, so I'll try again. Thanks for your comments and history of the self-help movement. I remember well the start of the Council of Adult Stutterers. Gene Walle (who was a leading force in establishing the council)and I got to know each other quite well when I was in Washington with the Office of Education and I admired his stick-to-it-ness. It reminds of our esatblishing the National Alliance for the Prevention and Treatment of Stuttering (NAPTS) which was incorporated and subequently "died" when the initial thrust of interest in develoing an umbrella organization of agencies, associations, and organizations concerned with the problem of stuttering came to an early internment. ASHA, NCAS, NSP, SFA, and the council of service programs in speech language pathology and audiology (whose name I can't recall at the moment - it died a natural and early death). I was the first president of NAPTS and and Fred Murray was the last. I've always been sorry that it failed. At any rate the National Council of Adult Stutterers (NCAS I think was its title) was a key player in that attempt. John Ahlbach represented the National Stuttering Project (later to be the National Stuttering Association). The first meeting of the group took place at Jane Fraser's (representing the SFA) home in Washington, DC. Subsequently, the organization was incorporated and to this day remains on the books in the State of Alabama waiting to be resuscitated - care for another challenge, Lee? The group's demise took place a few short years later, when all the parties could not agree on a grant that was being devloped seeking federal support for developing the organization. I guess it falls under the "an idea before its time" category. I guess I went into this being aware of your status as one of those early leaders in the establishment of self-help groups for those who stutter. Indeed, you would be one of those who might well detail the ebb and flow of attempts to establish self-help groups in America. Maybe we should challenge you to take a lead in developing a history of such groups for those who stutter. How about it? Someone better get to it before all of us "old farts" disappear from the scene. Didn't mean to ramble on like this, but for all the times we've met, we've never managed to spend quality time discussing the history of all this. Finally, Lee, thanks again for your being there when Van and Joe spoke and for making the tape available. Now,we and succeeding generations of those interested in the development of the treatment of stuttering, will have some fascinating discussions to review. Look forward to our continuing our discussions of such matters. Gene Thanks for your comments.


Last changed: 09/12/05