Successful Stuttering Management Program (SSMP)

By Erika Rodriguiez and Liz Zupan

· This program was designed by Dorvan H. Breitenfeldt Ph.D. CCC-SLP, a stutterer himself, and Delores Rustad Lorenz M.S. CCC-SLP in 1954

· It is an intensive therapy program designed for adolescents and adults over 15

· It was designed to help stutterers recognize the fact that they’re stutterers and to help them manage their disfluency through different techniques

· The program provides a practical , hands-on approach to stuttering therapy

· The program is available as a packaged program or as a summer program through Eastern Washington University

· Has been translated into German and Spanish and there are now ongoing workshops in Germany, Argentina, and South Africa

· Another summer camp has been started in Salt Lake City, Utah

SSMP Packaged Program

· The packaged program costs $54.95 plus tax

· It is in its second edition

· The clinician should be an AHSA certified SLP

· Designed for individual or group therapy (but written for a group)

· Group therapy is encouraged for mutual support

· Is a program of “doing” stuttering not philosophizing about it

· Stuttering is not curable, but the stutterer can learn to manage their stuttering

· Includes 17-session therapy plans with objectives and procedures

· A compact disk program accompanies the program that includes prolongations and cancellation drills and exercises

· Includes reproducible therapy handouts

· Includes reward techniques and reinforcers

· Includes charts, journals, drills, and logs to work on areas of stuttering

· Includes home assignments, as well as encouragement tips for family and friends

· A certificate of completion is given at the end of the program

· Can be used in schools, therapy, hospitals, privately or in university settings

Three week intensive program

· A summer program offered through Eastern Washington University

· Runs for 3 ½ weeks

· Costs $800 for diagnostic and therapy and approximately $750 for room and board

· Some scholarships are available

· Only 10 participants are accepted

· Participants stay in dormitory housing for the opportunity to relate closely with each other

· Participants have therapy 4 hours a day for 6 days a week.

· They work in pairs and small groups on the weekend as well

· Word and situation fears are worked on through activities such as telephone conversations, talking to groups or classes, and talking to strangers

· The final 10 days of the program focus on three management techniques

1) Prolongation-Exaggerating the first sound of the first word of a sentence

2) Cancellation-Pausing two or three seconds after stuttering, and then trying the word again for a better pronunciation

3) Pullout-Pulling off a blocked word and sliding forward

· The program also uses negative practice, where stutterers purposely stutter

· There is also a follow-up program to assist with maintaining improvement

· The program has run for over 35 summers