From: Judy Butler
Date: 10/9/00
Time: 6:59:27 AM
Remote Name: 208.244.111.59
Dear Kelly,
I have used this journaling with only two teens so far, both 14. And with these young men, as with all of my other younger students, motivation to keep on keepin'on with any one thing is a struggle. So, I reach into my bag of tricks for maintaining interest in therapy, regardless of what approach I am using a the time. Some times I pay older children. This may sound unprofessional, but money talks. For example, when I decide to spend some time drilling ERA-SM (or phrasing or changing speaking rate or whatever) I will give them say a penny for each target behavior. So, 100 instances of ERA-SM earns them a dollar. Sometimes I pay them for completing the tasks of the session: journal + drill + discussion = $1. Sometimes I drop the journaling for a couple visits and pick it up again another day. My personal approach to stuttering therapy is not just smooth speech. I am looking for interpersonal connection, building confidence in a child that he has the power to heal himself, and offering many routes for him to choose from on his recovery path. So I tend to mix things up a bit to keep children on their toes and interested.
Thanks, Judy Butler