REDUCTION OF (WORD) AVOIDANCE BEHAVIORS

Rationale: Avoidance behaviors must be eliminated as they facilitate the progressive growth of the fear of stuttering.

Activities/Techniques:

  1. The clinician and older client (ages 15-17) can discuss the characteristics of word and sound avoidance behaviors, as well as why the client feels it is necessary to avoid.

  2. Have the older client (ages 15-17) keep a log book of specific words and sounds he/she avoids and in what situations these avoidances occurred.

  3. To eliminate "uh's" and um's" used as avoidance behaviors, the clinician may use an abacus or counter to identify and count these behaviors. The client is then encouraged that he/she has the ability to say the work without the interjection and is requested to do so.

  4. The clinician should observe any secondary of avoidance behavior specific to the child's pattern. All such behaviors should be eliminated through increasing the child's awareness of the behavior, discussing it's occurrence, and demonstrating how the child doesn't need them to talk.
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