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From: Steve Hood
Date: 10/18/01
Time: 2:29:44 PM
Remote Name: 199.33.133.50
Hello, Kim
You said he expresses no concern, emotional or otherwise. It seems to me that there are two possible things that might be happening: (1) His stuttering is mild enough and not bothering him enough to be of concern to him. If so, then he is basically talking well enough in most situations and with most people so that it is not a problem that he feels like worth working on at the present time. He is "ok" with his stuttering, and with him self. OR, (2) His stuttering is frequent and severe, and is limiting his communication options, then there may be some other issues that must be handled in order for him to be "ready for therapy" -- i.e., increasing his internal motivation, reducing possible denial, shame, guilt, believing in you, and your therapy, and believing in his own ability to profit from it.
If the first situation is correct, then it might be best to give him a "speech vacation"-- let him stride out on his own to do his verbal bidding, and let him know that you are around and available for him if he wants to return to therapy. If the second issue is correct, then it will probably be necessary to work on these other issues, and for him to assume some increased responsibility for being an active participant in his therapy. If so, then you need to address these issues, and if this doesn't work, give him a different form of "speech vacation" --- Dismiss him from therapy, but let him know that therapy is available and that you would like to work with him, and he can return to see when after he is more ready to commit to the program.
Kids in this age group, up to the late teen years, are sometimes stuck in the middle. They are too old to be treated as kids where parents make major decisions, and not yet old enough to be making adult-type decisions. These kids need to become ready to "run the race" -- rather than sit on the sidelines. Clinicians can sometimes help kids get ready to run the race, and can help kids run the race, but clinicians cannot run the race for the kids.
Hope these ideas help.