From: J. Scot Yauss
Date: 10/12/00
Time: 8:29:33 AM
Remote Name: 205.201.41.31
Hi - You've asked an interesting question that goes to the heart of differing philosophies about treating stuttering. Your question would appear to suggest that our goal in treatment is to keep people from stuttering to the extent possible during the session.
I would respectfully disagree with this goal -- to be sure, we want to help people reduce their stuttering, but if we simply tiptoe around them during a treatment session so they don't stutter, then I think we've done them little good in the end -- as soon as they're back out in the real world, experiencing real conversational pressures, the stuttering will return.
Instead, I would rather my speaker stuttering normally during a session so we can help him/her learn to deal with and modify that stuttering. In fact, one of the primary problems with the therapy setting is that speakers quickly become acclimated to the setting and therefore stutter less. We may think we have done a great job with their therapy, when in fact, it is simply the natural behavior of stuttering to reduce in such situations. Again, it does the client little good.
SO, I ask open ended questions, put conversational time pressures on people, argue with them, challenge them, exasperate them -- in short, treat them as much like other people will treat them as possible, with the exception that I'm doing this in a caring environment where I have painstakingly build a therapeutic relationship that can handle such challenges, etc., from a personal standpoint (as opposed to a speech standpoint).
Finally, your point about avoidance -- if a speaker is exhibiting significant avoidance of stuttering, then it's all the more reason that we need to help them explore the feelings surrounding that avoidance and help them to break through the barriers they are experiencing. Asking simple questions so they can pretend to be fluent will only delay their success in treatment.
Thanks again for the question -- sorry if I came on too strong...it's a topic of some interest and passion for me ;-)
S