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From: GREG SNYDER
Date: 17 Oct 2006
Time: 19:52:14 -0500
Remote Name: 207.68.248.51
HI SARA. STUTTERING MANAGEMENT IS CERTAINLY VERY DIFFICULT, AS THERE ARE MANY VARIABLES (OTHER THAN SPEECH) INVOLVED. MY INITIAL THOUGHT IS THAT WHILE IT IS VERY EASY TO BLAME THE CLIENT FOR A LACK OF THERAPEUTIC PROGRESS, IT IS SOMETHING IN WHICH I ULTIMATELY DO NOT CONDONE. THERE ARE SIMPLY TOO MANY VARIABLES IN PLAY, SUCH AS AN UNKNOWN ETIOLOGY, INEFFICIENT THERAPIES, AND A LIFETIME OF LIVING WITH THE NEGATIVE SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF STUTTERING FOR ME TO FEEL COMFORTABLE PLACING ANY BLAME ON THE CLIENTS. ULTIMATELY, THE THERAPEUTIC PATH IS CHOSEN BY THE CLIENT, AND IT MAY BE THE PROFESSIONAL’S RESPONSIBILITY TO ELUCIDATE THESE (REALISTIC) OBJECTIVES AND PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK IN WHICH THEY CAN BE ACHIVED. … … … BUT IN ORDER TO REALLY PROVIDE A USEFUL PERSPECTIVE, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW YOUR CURRENT TREATMENT OBJECTIVES, AS WELL AS WHAT THE CLIENT WANTS TO GET OUT OF TREATMENT. FOR EXAMPLE: OFTEN TIMES, THE STUTTERING ICEBURG (HICKS, 2003) PROVIDES A SUBSTANTIAL BARRIER TOWARDS DEALING WITH THE ACTUAL SPEECH ITSELF (HICKS, 2005). ULTIMATELY, I TRY TO GIVE MY CLIENTS AS HONEST AN ASSESSMENT AS POSSIBLE, CREATE AN INFORMED CONSUMER, HELP THE CLIENT CLARIFY THEIR OWN (REALISTIC) TREATMENT OBJECTIVES, AND THEN WORK WITH THE CLIENT ON THEIR PATH TOWARD REACHING THEIR OBJECTIVES. BUT AGAIN, THE MORE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE US, THE MORE PERTINANT A RESPNSE WE CAN PROVIDE. I hope this helps…