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From: Brian Humphrey
Date: 09 Oct 2006
Time: 16:30:22 -0500
Remote Name: 66.176.241.118
Jennifer, My approach is to try to understand the attitudes, behaviors, and thinking of each person who stutters and tailor my treatment plans to the needs of each individual. It is like having a variety of different needles and threads in one's sewing kit. Fluency shaping and stuttering modification approaches are each effective with some, but not all, clients. Delayed auditory feedback and/or frequency altered feedback may work well with some clients but not others. Age of the client and treatment history are additional factors that may suggest trying one approach over another. With adult clients, I like to demonstrate and have them try a few treatment approaches and agree with me on which to focus on first. For example, I am thinking of a client who chose to use fluency shaping approaches when I discussed and deomonstrated treatment approaches with him. Later, after making some progress but reaching a plateau, we switched to stuttering modification approaches to make further gains. We need to remember the ABC's of stuttering: affect, behavior, and cognitive factors. Only part of the stuttering problem is the stuttering behavior itself. When that particular client started working with me, he was most concerned about his stuttering behaviors. Later, he recognized and was more willing to work on his feelings and attitudes related to stuttering as well. When he did, his communication effectiveness improved.