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From: Russ Hicks
Date: 21 Oct 2006
Time: 22:18:54 -0500
Remote Name: 71.123.208.188
Hi Lauren, ..... You asked, "Do you think that principles [of fluency shaping] gave you any benefit later on in life?" Yes, but certainly not at the time I learned them in the 1950's. By themselves they are in incomplete package. They address only the top of the stuttering iceberg. See my paper on the stuttering iceberg at http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad6/papers/hicks6.html for details of this. The iceberg - one of the most fundamental breakthroughs in understanding stuttering in the last 50 years - wasn't even conceived until about 1970 and wasn't really publicized until nearly 2000. The people in my camp were clueless on the emotional/psychological baggage beneath the waterline of the iceberg so they never even thought to treat it! No wonder my therapy failed. But it wasn't their fault. It wasn't anyone's fault really. We just didn't know. ..... It's like asking if the wheels in my car do me any good? By themselves, no. But try driving a car without wheels! It takes BOTH work on fluency AND work on the emotions and attitudes to successfully address the problems of adult stuttering. One single approach simply won't work. ..... If you're interested, read my paper on the Iceberg MATRIX of Stuttering at http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad8/papers/hicks8/hicks8.html which uses the iceberg analogy to suggest treatment for different forms of stuttering. And that paper will show you why the INTEGRATED approach individualized for each client, is the ideal way for treatment. ..... Did this answer your question, Lauren? ..... Thanks for reading my paper. ..... I wish you the best. ..... Russ, my email is russhicks@mail.com