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From: Patti Kirk - Denmark
Date: 10/9/01
Time: 5:25:28 PM
Remote Name: 134.29.30.79
I work in a school with mentally and physically impaired children 6 to 18 years of age. I have a wonderfully positive-minded, non-agressive, pacificer-using- 8 year old student (C), who at 4 months suffered an anurism which has (in part) resulted in a disorder that leaves the two halves of his brain working--but not coordinating their work...(please advise if there is a term for this non-coordination of the two hemispheres of the brain). C is physically at the level of a 4*-5year old child. He remembers many (at least 250) rhymes and children's songs. Sometimes he doesn't say all the words, but emits a 'huh-hu-huh' babbling sound in the correct meter of the verses. He is outgoing, but does not at all like the physical contact of holding hands or being touched on his torso. He is a very emotionally sensitive child whose attention span is not long. C is in 'perpetual motion' restlessly inspecting our class room--throwing and kicking things, unless being read to or sung to--usually on a one to one basis. And C stutters...tries to start up a sentence, but is stuck in 'neutral'--repeats "mum-uh-uh-mum-mum-mum....up to 12-14 times before he can verbalize a thought. The verbalization C comes with may or maynot be what he wanted to say. I NEVER interrupt C's stammering pattern, because I have seen that it only stops his thought/concentration process and he seems to start over again, or comes with a disconnected word/answer. I put my hand gently on his shoulder, smile and look at him in a positive-loving way--so I hope he knows I will wait until he can say what he wants to tell me. I have just come out of a long parent teacher conference where I have learned that the parents interrupt him-EVERYtime he stutters--the father with "No more mum mum! Talk!" The mother just puts her hand on him--she confided in me that she doesn't have to say anything to him anymore...because she has said it so many times before "C what do you want to say?" The mother acknowledges that C blurts out a word without contextual meaning just to satisfy the father--and many times herself. I'm sorry this is taking so long, but I am hoping you can give me some direction. Has there been any research done on stuttering within the context of brain damaged individuals? What about researh in the area of the brain dysfunction. Where can I go for help? I have read the homepage for BSA Dysfluency, Stammering and Downs Syndrome and it has been helpful to a degree, but C's situation is very perplexing. I feel a great deal of his problem with stuttering comes from a lack of feeling secure. Thank you.