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From: Woody
Date: 10/17/00
Time: 7:55:52 AM
Remote Name: 155.247.229.208
Hi Patrick:
You have already taken the first step in asking for help. I guess it is possible to improve your fluency, among other communication skills, on your own, but it is really hard. Most people need help, and there are a number of places to find it. I would say that the first step is to hook up with some other kids your age who stutter. You can do that through the National Stuttering Association or through Friends. Both organizations have websites and active programs for teenagers. Even this Stuttering Home Page has some specific items for teenagers. If you can find a local chapter of NSA and go to meetings regularly you will surely find some support there. These sources of support will build up your confidence in yourself and help you realize that you are not the only stutterer in the world, although it really feels as though you are in the beginning. Then, with the support of your fellow stutterers, you can begin looking for professional help if you want to. Again, I think you can do a lot on your own, but I think that it will be easier for you if you find a professional helper. Here you have to be careful. There are a lot of professionals, both speech-language pathologists and psychologists, who are not very helpful, and the work to find one that is right for you falls squarely on your shoulders. But persist. They are out there. Find someone who will listen to you. That's the first thing because then, if they don't know as much as they should about your problem, you can educate them. Ask for their credentials. They should be very willing to tell you about their education, certifications, and licensure. If they balk at these questions, or suggest to you that the formal credentials are not really important, run fast. If you can, find someone who is a specialist in the treatment of fluency disorders, recognized by the Commission on Specialty Recognition in Fluency Disorders. There are not yet very many of these folks because the program is new, but more are being commission-recognized every day. Finally, find someone that you feel comfortable with, that seems to understand the problem, and stay away from people who act as if they have The Answer. No one does, and those who act that way are trying to convince themselves.
Stay in touch with people too. Join the stuttering community. That probably sounds wierd and unpleasant, and the first step is pretty scary, but you will not be disappointed. Support is the answer and you want to get it wherever you can. It can be discouraging at times because the typical road to recovery, from stuttering as from everything else, is characterized by two steps forward one step back.
Trust your own instincts. Stuttering may make it difficult to talk to people, but it often seems to make it easier to listen, and you probably have excellent listening skills. When you hear something that doesn't sound right, coming from your therapist, try to help them understand. If they can change the way they think, that is a very good sign.
I wish you luck Patrick. It may be a difficult journey at times, but it is exciting and wonderful too, as many journeys are.