Thanks for an interesting paper! From: Judy Kuster Date: 10/1/99 Time: 11:21:16 AM Remote Name: 134.29.30.79 Comments Thanks for a fascinating paper, Ajit! There is much that can be learned from Eastern philosophy/thought. But stuttering treatment with snakes! My goodness, that was startling to read. And then I started thinking about the experiments here in the US of treating stuttering by injecting the larynx with botox poison. At least the snakes only cost $1/treatment as opposed to considerably more expensive treatment with botox I'm sure! I don't think I would recommend or submit to either treatment for stuttering personally!! Judy Hello Everyone and Thanks! From: Ajit Harisinghani Date: 10/14/99 Time: 1:48:26 AM Remote Name: 202.54.42.11 Comments This is a collective reply to everyone who posted a comment on my paper: 1. Judy Kuster: Dear Judy, I am glad you enjoyed reading my paper and I really appreciate all the work that must have gone in herding writers from all over the globe into contributing (you must have been a beautiful sheep-dog in your last birth!). And yes, I wouldn't advice anyone to try either snake bites ot botox-poison injections to "cure" stuttering. It is just that stuttering is so connected with the mind that any and all such 'placebo' cures work if only for a short while simply because the stutterer feels they will work. As such, quacks all over the world often take advantage of the stutterer and this is especially true in countries like India where there are large number of 'gullible' people who would belleive anything if it has a label of 'faith' attached to it. The funny thing is that sometimes these faith-healers actually do the trick which is why I've called myself a 'mixed-up speech pathologist!' 2. John Harrison: Hi John, I think I wrote back to you but I thank you again for your agreement on the approach that we are after all wholistic beings not compartmentalized into being part-time stutterers among other things. The fact that I fought with my wife today does affect my attitude towards the milk-man! 3. Laurie: Hi Laurie - Thanks and yes, do let me know what you try as far as yoga and meditation are concerned. 4. Robbie Cameron: Hi Robbie: Thanks for referring the enquiry to me. I've written to him and answerred some of his queries. Everyone wants to know if I can give them a guarantee along with my self-help audio-cassette programme and I have to tell them that the guarantee can only apply to the quality of the sound recording but that it will help only as much as it is meant to. Sometimes, no therapy helps and at other times, a few sessions can work 'miracles' - I guess any therapy can give only as much as the taker is ready to receive but don't quote me on that! 5. Benny Ravid: Hi Benny, If you're coming to Pune for my therapy, could you please get me an uncooked McDonald Quarter Pounder with Cheese? I've forgotten how much I hated it when I was living off that stuff in the days I was a student in the US! Thanks for your letter. 6. Heather Herrman: Dear Heather: This approach is good for most but you're right if you imply that it can't work for everyone. So I am careful who I suggest it to - I mean it might make sense to an adult stutterer to do yoga or to meditate but to a teenager, it might sound like some 'religious BS' which can only be good for the trash-can in his mind. All I can say is that I really don't feel comfortable with all those 'organized' therapy-modules I used to dish out in the way of identifying number of blocks or working on specific speech-sound / situation fears. It is the fear which one has to deal with at it's very root rather that try and deal with the place where it shows. It's got to be at the attitudinal / philosophical level and in any case, we Indians are chronic philosophizers (that's a condition in itself!!) 7. Gail Lind : Dear Gail : The Bare-foot in the Park Theory is very useful to my garden where I also advice my stuttering clients to de-weed the lawn as they walk about on it!! but seriously, it is a known fact that we all full of (among other things!) too much pent-up electrical energy which manifests itself in all those known symptoms that go to make up the stress-syndrome so much in vogue amongst Americans today! About walking barefoot on frozen Minnesota ground, you must surely advice against that if only to save yourself some malpractice suits. Tell them to wait until summer or send them to me in warm India! 8. Carmen: Dear Carmen : It is true that any therapy that aims at modifying something so personal as speech behaviour has to take into consideration the type of person one is dealing with. My basic goal always is that the person who comes to me with a large load of doubts about his own abillities to communicate and to relate with society should not go away with some more burdens - I mean, I don't like to load him up with more things to do or not do. The focus is to make him comfortable with whatever he is - I tell him that his basic 'normalcy' has become covered with alot of psychological 'debris' and the job is not to learn how to speak fluently (which is something he knows already as he does in favourable speech situations) but rather to 'unlearn' thoughts which detract him from his inborn ability to be fluent. Ofcourse, he has to also accept that some of his dysfluency might be neurologically or genetically induced and as such he should be open enough to accept it and move along in life rather than blaming it for everytrhing that has gone wrong in his personal growth. I guess that's true of all of us - I certainly believe it of myself which is why I can convey it to my cases, I guess. Re: Thanks for an interesting paper! From: Ajit Harisinghani Date: 10/14/99 Time: 9:06:31 AM Remote Name: 134.29.30.79 Comments Dear Judy, I am glad you enjoyed reading my paper and I really appreciate all the work that must have gone in herding writers from all over the globe into contributing (you must have been a beautiful sheep-dog in your last birth!). And yes, I wouldn't advise anyone to try either snake bites ot botox-poison injections to "cure" stuttering. It is just that stuttering is so connected with the mind that any and all such 'placebo' cures work if only for a short while simply because the stutterer feels they will work. As such, quacks all over the world often take advantage of the stutterer and this is especially true in countries like India where there are large number of 'gullible' people who would belleive anything if it has a label of 'faith' attached to it. The funny thing is that sometimes these faith-healers actually do the trick which is why I've called myself a 'mixed-up speech pathologist!' How effective is this therapy for PWS From: Benny Ravid Date: 10/1/99 Time: 11:53:31 PM Remote Name: 212.3.193.114 Comments Seems that this therapy is good for all. Not for PWS only. Thanks it is really interesting. It made me start to think about taking your therapy in Puna. Benny Re: How effective is this therapy for PWS From: Ajit Harisinghani Date: 10/14/99 Time: 9:07:20 AM Remote Name: 134.29.30.79 Comments Hi Benny, If you're coming to Pune for my therapy, could you please get me an uncooked McDonald Quarter Pounder with Cheese? I've forgotten how much I hated it when I was living off that stuff in the days I was a student in the US! Thanks for your letter. Speaking Circles can help, too From: John Harrison Date: 10/2/99 Time: 12:14:05 AM Remote Name: 205.188.199.38 Comments Ajit, I fully subscribe to your holistic approach to stuttering therapy and am please to see many familiar names from the human potential movement, such as Wayne Dwyer. Something that you might want to explore as another treatment modality is the Speaking Circle which cuts to the very heart of the stuttering block. There is an extensive article on the Stuttering Home Page that describes this speaking format. The address of the document is www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/TherapyWWW/speakingcircles.htm. This is a group format which is very easy to set up and run, yet is very powerful. Regards, John Harrison Re: Speaking Circles can help, too From: Ajit Harisinghani Date: 10/14/99 Time: 9:07:47 AM Remote Name: 134.29.30.79 Comments Hi John, I think I wrote back to you but I thank you again for your agreement on the approach that we are after all wholistic beings not compartmentalized into being part-time stutterers among other things. The fact that I fought with my wife today does affect my attitude towards the milk-man! Indian Stuttering Association From: Robbie Cameron Date: 10/5/99 Time: 2:00:04 AM Remote Name: 196.2.37.28 Comments Dear Sir I have had an enquiry from an Indian Stutter as to where he can get information on help in India - perhaps you would be able to assist with this His email address veeraya@md4.vsnl.net.in his name is Singaram Balamugan Thanks for your help Robbie Re: Indian Stuttering Association From: Judy Kuster Date: 10/5/99 Time: 7:21:46 PM Remote Name: 134.29.30.79 Comments I often get email from persons from India who stutter and are seeking help (this is probably the 10th request in the past month). It is hard for me to know what to tell them to do. If it is someone looking for information about a child who is stuttering, I tell them to check http://www.stuttersfa.org/whatsnew/india.htm The Stuttering Foundation of America's book, Stuttering and Your Child: Questions and Answers has been translated into Hindi through the hard work of Dr. Sajiv Adlakha Speech & Hearing Clinic in New Delhi, India. That clinic may also be a source of therapy or referral for adults. There is a chapter of the International Fluency Association called the Swar Sudhar Society. They had some publicity during International Stuttering Awareness Day in October 1998. There was an article in The Hindu for October 23, 1998. The email address I have is: Sajiv Adlakha adlakhas@hotmail.com There is one "fluency club" that I have listed in India. I do not know if they are still functioning, but you might try to contact: Fluency Club of India 35-C, Pocket 1 Mayur Vihar -Phase 1 Delhi 110091 INDIA 2251605 There are also some American Speech-Language-Hearing Association members/speech therapists living in India. I have never been able to make contact with one, but the names I have are: Char, Geeti 46 Mysore Colony Bombay, 400074 Desrajurs, Aparna 24 17th Cross Road Malleswaram Bangalore, 560055 Radhakrishna, Shantha 700/813 I St C Main Girinagar II Phase Bangalore KA, 560085 321 Jal-Vihar Kukut Palli Hyderabad, 500072 I know of one other person in India with a master's degree in speech-language pathology - Ajit Harisinghani, the author of this paper is a practicing speech pathologist in Pune, India, over the last 20 years. Finally I have also recently received email from two different individuals who are trying to start a self-help organization in India. Perhaps you could contact one of them: Sandeep Desai - sandeepdesai@ambitpte.com from Bombay Satyam Sahay - I think he is in Pune. I do not have his email address. Judy Kuster Re: Indian Stuttering Association From: Ajit Harisinghani Date: 10/14/99 Time: 9:08:24 AM Remote Name: 134.29.30.79 Comments Hi Robbie: Thanks for referring the enquiry to me. I've written to him and answerred some of his queries. Everyone wants to know if I can give them a guarantee along with my self-help audio-cassette programme and I have to tell them that the guarantee can only apply to the quality of the sound recording but that it will help only as much as it is meant to. Sometimes, no therapy helps and at other times, a few sessions can work 'miracles' - I guess any therapy can give only as much as the taker is ready to receive but don't quote me on that! Curiosity about "bare-foot earth walking" From: Gail Lind, Educ. SLP Date: 10/7/99 Time: 7:51:26 PM Remote Name: 63.11.55.192 Comments I'll try this again - I'm curious as to the sincerity of the earth walking recommendation. Would you please expand a bit on the benefits? For those of us who live in a climate such as Minnesota, you must appreciate the limitations of this suggestion. Thanks for an interesting read! Re: Curiosity about "bare-foot earth walking" From: Ajit Harisinghani Date: 10/14/99 Time: 9:08:56 AM Remote Name: 134.29.30.79 Comments Dear Gail : The Bare-foot in the Park Theory is very useful to my garden where I also advice my stuttering clients to de-weed the lawn as they walk about on it!! but seriously, it is a known fact that we all full of (among other things!) too much pent-up electrical energy which manifests itself in all those known symptoms that go to make up the stress-syndrome so much in vogue amongst Americans today! About walking barefoot on frozen Minnesota ground, you must surely advice against that if only to save yourself some malpractice suits. Tell them to wait until summer or send them to me in warm India! Re: Curiosity about "bare-foot earth walking" From: Gail Lind Date: 10/17/99 Time: 4:16:38 PM Remote Name: 63.11.58.142 Comments I appreciate your sense of humor - I think it's something we could all use more of - both client and clinician in many cases! Re: Curiosity about "bare-foot earth walking" From: Ajit Harisinghani Date: 10/18/99 Time: 12:39:02 AM Remote Name: 203.197.82.11 Comments Dear Gail: As clinicians, we do tend to become very 'serious' and stiff with our clients; forgetting that we are dealing with vibrant, wholesome human beings who are already stressed precisely because they take themselves (and their problems) too seriously. Levity, not berevity, is an important aspect of inter-human relationships and even perfectly produced speech can become insipid if it has no suggestion of a sense of fun. isn't that what the french call 'joy de vivre?' thank you very much for your response. - ajit. Effectiveness of this approach From: Heather Herrman Date: 10/8/99 Time: 10:51:30 AM Remote Name: 205.188.199.179 Comments Your approach seems very interesting. I'm wondering how successful this approach has been for you with your clients? Thank you, Heather Herrman Graduate student, MSU, Mankato Re: Effectiveness of this approach From: Ajit Harisinghani Date: 10/14/99 Time: 9:09:30 AM Remote Name: 134.29.30.79 Comments Dear Heather: This approach is good for most but you're right if you imply that it can't work for everyone. So I am careful who I suggest it to - I mean it might make sense to an adult stutterer to do yoga or to meditate but to a teenager, it might sound like some 'religious BS' which can only be good for the trash-can in his mind. All I can say is that I really don't feel comfortable with all those 'organized' therapy-modules I used to dish out in the way of identifying number of blocks or working on specific speech-sound / situation fears. It is the fear which one has to deal with at it's very root rather that try and deal with the place where it shows. It's got to be at the attitudinal / philosophical level and in any case, we Indians are chronic philosophizers (that's a condition in itself!!) interesting approach From: Laurie in Minnesota Date: 10/11/99 Time: 11:51:45 AM Remote Name: 209.18.242.35 Comments I am interested in your approach to therapy. I san see how techniques such as meditation, yoga, relaxation would be beneficial. I plan to look further into these ideas. Thank you for you paper. Re: interesting approach From: Ajit Harisinghani Date: 10/14/99 Time: 9:10:16 AM Remote Name: 134.29.30.79 Comments Hi Laurie - Thanks and yes, do let me know what you try as far as yoga and meditation are concerned. Therapy in the third world From: Carmen - Southern University-Baton Rouge, LA. Date: 10/13/99 Time: 1:53:44 PM Remote Name: 204.196.166.134 Comments I enjoyed reading your article and found myself anticipating some of the very things you have discussed. As an international student hoping to graduate and work in my home country I also feel that a sense of trepidation with regard to providing therapy in an environment where culture plays such a vital role in the perception of healing. Should one therefore incorporate positive cultural beliefs into one's therapy if this proves beneficial? Re: Therapy in the third world From: Ajit Harisinghani Date: 10/14/99 Time: 9:10:55 AM Remote Name: 134.29.30.79 Comments Dear Carmen : It is true that any therapy that aims at modifying something so personal as speech behaviour has to take into consideration the type of person one is dealing with. My basic goal always is that the person who comes to me with a large load of doubts about his own abillities to communicate and to relate with society should not go away with some more burdens - I mean, I don't like to load him up with more things to do or not do. The focus is to make him comfortable with whatever he is - I tell him that his basic 'normalcy' has become covered with alot of psychological 'debris' and the job is not to learn how to speak fluently (which is something he knows already as he does in favourable speech situations) but rather to 'unlearn' thoughts which detract him from his inborn ability to be fluent. Ofcourse, he has to also accept that some of his dysfluency might be neurologically or genetically induced and as such he should be open enough to accept it and move along in life rather than blaming it for everytrhing that has gone wrong in his personal growth. I guess that's true of all of us - I certainly believe it of myself which is why I can convey it to my cases, I guess. Mixed up? From: Lynne Shields Date: 10/19/99 Time: 3:19:37 PM Remote Name: 199.217.208.162 Comments Ajit, Thanks for a wonderful article. If your treatment is in any way similar to the way you write, it must be a treat to be one of your clients. You seem more grounded than mixed up, if you want my opinion. Thanks for sharing your wisdom. Regards, Lynne Re: Mixed up? From: Ajit Harisinghani Date: 10/24/99 Time: 1:19:26 AM Remote Name: 203.197.82.206 Comments Lynne, thank you for your response but hold on to your appraisal of my mixed-up-ness until (and if) you come visit me in india! best wishes ajit yoga breathing From: Diane Whittington Date: 10/21/99 Time: 9:34:32 AM Remote Name: 130.70.54.220 Comments Dear Agit, Thanks for the article. I am therapist who works with stutterers. I also work on monitoring the tension level of the body, recognizing when a person experiences an increased amount of tension and implementation of strategies to offset that tension. Part of the strategies used are some breathing exercises that I have borrowed from Yoga and some meditation strategies. I also use a discovery method to assist the client to discover how learned negative thought patterns can impact a PWS, causing that person to react rather than to problem solve. Therefore another aspect of what I do is to assist the person to become aware of what happens when beginning to feel "out of control". These aspects coupled with systematic use of fluency shaping procedures can assist a PWS to gain control and stay in control. I feel that a PWS adult would have difficulty maintaining control over time without the ability to monitor and off set reactions to their developed covert symptoms. Re: yoga breathing From: Ajit Harisinghani Date: 10/24/99 Time: 1:19:14 AM Remote Name: 203.197.82.206 Comments Diane: I liked the way you've summarized your use of yoga and meditation in therapy for stutterers. becoming aware of the subtle (conditioned)sensations that trigger off the stuttering response and then succeeding in offsetting these undesirable behaviours can become an exciting quest for the stutterer because he become comfortable with the idea - not of fighting his innate mind-body conditioning but flowing with it and minimizing it's actual occurrence. thank you for your response. ajit India, Stuttering & Mixed-up Speech Pathologists! From: Pamela L. Brophy Date: 10/21/99 Time: 11:23:52 AM Remote Name: 204.169.205.77 Comments Your article was really a peaceful, interesting way to look at stuttering therapy. I will NEVER get the image of the brown snake biting the stutter's tongue out of my mind!!!!!!!!!! Re: India, Stuttering & Mixed-up Speech Pathologists! From: Ajit Harisinghani Date: 10/24/99 Time: 1:19:06 AM Remote Name: 203.197.82.206 Comments Pamela, Please write to me if you're seeing little brown snakes in your dreams too often - I have a special therapy package for just such contigencies! best wishes and thank you for your comments. ajit