[ Contents | Search | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: Peter Ramig-University of Colorado
Date: 11 Oct 2004
Time: 16:45:42 -0500
Remote Name: 128.138.174.126
Aunie, Good question! Yes, I do believe that fluency shaping by itself can be very effective for SOME persons who stutter. In contrast, however, there are many stutterers where that is not the case. Fluency shaping can be most helpful when implemented with younger children who may not have yet developed the avoidances and fear that so many do by a later age. Then again, there are chronic adult stutterers showing much fear and avoidance that have benefitted from only fluency shaping strategies. But this, based on my experience, is the population where using ONLY fluency shaping is far less successful. Chronic stutterers can try over and over again to use easy onsets, slower rate, airflow changes, etc., and it just does not work for many. They still experience tense repetitions, prolongations and blocking. These are the ones who need to be shown how to tolerate the stuttering with less pushing and forcing as they go into-and out-of real stuttering.