Stuttering Therapy: Clinic vs. Real World

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Re: Stuttering Therapy

From: Bobby Childers
Date: 10/19/01
Time: 8:48:52 AM
Remote Name: 216.234.195.23

Comments

Tina:

When I wrote the paper, I sent it to Judy Kuster for "pre-approval" as a first draft. She promptly took umbrage at my statement of not being a stuttering expert. (I recieved a long distance email butt chewing). But then again, I recieved the same type of butt chewing from my student SLP's and their faculty supervisor, because I sent the paper to them at the same time I sent it to Judy.

Once you do get to work with someone who stutters, make sure that your faculty supervisor (Judy or whoever), does not assign you someone like me. I was the first stutterer that my student clinicians worked with, and I'm sure that they felt like they were being punished.

Get to know your client as a person before you make any real firm decisions as to the type of therapy to give them. Everyone is different in the way they stutter, and the way they perceive their speech. Try to determine what their attitudes are towards their speech as it can range from total disgust to mild annoyance. Their attitude is going be a major factor in how well the therapy goes, and how well the client accepts it.

While SLP's are not pyschologists, you are human and have a insight to the human pysche. Use that insight to delve into your client, hear and see what they aren't saying or showing about their speech. My student clinicians video taped many of my early sessions, and then viewed them aftewards with their classmates and Dr. Leeper (faculty supervisor). They told me that they could tell from my body language when I was not comfortable with something even though I was not saying it.

You won't have as much trouble with children as you will adults, mainly because the adults have had a lifetime to build up attitudes that will take time to dismantle.

I wish you luck with your studies. If Judy Kuster is one of your professors, then you will be an excellent SLP.

Bobby


Last changed: September 12, 2005