Existence of Stuttering in SIgn Language and Other Forms of Expressive Communication

[ Contents | Search | Next | Previous | Up ]


Re: Our mutual interest

From: Greg Snyder
Date: 08 Oct 2006
Time: 19:23:02 -0500
Remote Name: 207.68.248.51

Comments

Hi Ellen-Marie. Many thanks for your reply. And of interest--as much as I honestly tried at learning sign, I was certainly not the best or the brightest in the group. As I’ve mentioned in other replies, I was told repeatedly by my teachers and tutors to “slow down” and to “focus on clarity rather than speed.” I thought nothing of it at the time, but looking back--it sure does sound like something a parent might say to their stuttering child! … … … … And as far as the Wendell Johnson (stuttering) definition that you quoted--it certainly doesn’t surprise me that such a definition could allow for stuttering in other modalities. While I appreciate the contribution of those that came before me, many previous perspectives were largely pseudoscientific--and subsequently excelled at explaining the disorder after the fact. (As opposed to predicting the behavior and then directly testing the theory/hypothesis.) Again, I hope that I am coming across as someone that appreciates the contributions of previous researchers, as I certainly couldn’t have come to my conclusions about stuttering without their input… but a largely pseudoscientific theory (such as many or all of those based on a psychological perspective) can be twisted, warped, or modified to account for the data after the fact. After 70+ years of going down this road--and without significant improvements in treatment relative to other medical disorders, I am looking for something different. I will most certainly not cure stuttering, but at least I won’t directly replicate or perpetuate the errors of the past.


Last changed: 10/22/06