WELCOME From: Pete Hawkes Date: 10/1/99 Time: 5:28:21 AM Remote Name: 195.92.194.46 Comments Thankyou for showing interest in my 'paper'. I will answer all questions/comments quickly as possible. If any of you wish to e-mail me please do so at Martin@hawkes19.freeserve.co.uk. Thankyou.:0) Effective for preschoolers? From: Sabrina Klemballa Date: 10/5/99 Time: 4:36:09 PM Remote Name: 167.206.194.251 Comments Do you think that Cancellation and pull-out techniques would benefit preschoolers who are considered severely dysfluent? Re: Effective for preschoolers? From: Pete Hawkes Date: 10/6/99 Time: 10:37:36 AM Remote Name: 195.92.194.76 Comments I do feel cancellations and pull-outs would help pre-schoolers. If they learn to use them at such an early age, I guess this would then make their fluency improve and make them aware of their own speech. For children so young, it could be difficult for them to learn..I don't really know.. as I am not a therapist. I would think though that it certainly would help. I am sorry I am not able to answer this as fully as I would have liked. Question regarding article From: Laurie Ling (MSU-Mankato, USA) Date: 10/5/99 Time: 5:29:20 PM Remote Name: 134.29.13.98 Comments I am a graduate student at Minesota State University-Mankato, i the Speech, Hearing, and Rehabilitation Department. I thank you for sharing your two-week experience of intensive therapy with Dr. Ward, Vanna Karkasi, and others of the group. I found of particular interest the survey you conducted, asking people to answer some questions on stammering and their views. Did you do this individually or in teams? Did you feel that directly asking people questions on stammering got a different result than if you just started a conversation with them? Best wishes in the establishment of your self-help group and your many other goals. Re: Question regarding article From: Pete Hawkes Date: 10/6/99 Time: 10:48:09 AM Remote Name: 195.92.194.76 Comments Hi Laurie, Thankyou for your question and kind comments! We went out into the city of Oxford and asked passers by individually although the others in the group were standing close by. I feel that it was alot harder doing it this way, both for us stammerers and the general public, however I have spoken to non-stammering friends about stammering and their views are pretty much the same. All the people interviewed gave positive comments such as, saying that they didn't feel uncomfortable when speaking to a stammerer, and that it wasn't a problem in anyway. My views on this are slightly different as I feel most people will try to be positive so as not to offend you, if you see what I mean. As a stammerer I have experienced both negative and positive reactions to my speech, so I know that not everyone is all that understanding! Airflow From: Peter Louw Date: 10/7/99 Time: 7:06:38 AM Remote Name: 196.36.184.252 Comments Dear Peter, congratulations on a very valuable article. I was particularly intrigued by you mentioning that you find airflow helpful. Is this perhaps linked to the Passive Airflow technique which is taught by a particular stuttering centre in New York? (The National Center for Stuttering). I am asking, as I have myself benefited much from this technique, and have for many years tried to promote the Passive Airflow approach in the belief that this is a major breakthrough for speech therapy. The Passive Airflow approach involves, amongst other things, a very, very slight and passive stream (actually a "drifting") of air flowing from the lips PRIOR to speech. The airflow should never be forcefully pushed, otherwise it won't work, the air should as it were "evaporate" from your mouth. It also involves slowed first syllables, as well as "thinking rest" while flowing out instead of thinking about the word you want to say. This last part is obviously the most difficult, but is used only in certain circumstances. Stress management is another important aspect of this approach. All the best with your speech and keep well. Re: Airflow From: Pete Hawkes Date: 10/11/99 Time: 12:08:36 PM Remote Name: 212.126.144.12 Comments Peter, thankyou for your interest and comments. Yes it sounds like the airflow technique is the same. However can you please tell me more about the 'thinking rest' part because I am not familiar with this. If you wish to e-mail me please feel free. My address is petehawkes@freeuk.com. Re: Airflow From: Peter Louw Date: 10/12/99 Time: 8:42:28 AM Remote Name: 196.36.184.252 Comments Dear Peter Many thanks for your message, and I am happy to provide you with more details regarding the "intent to rest". The "intent to rest" is one of the components of the Passive Airflow technique, which was developed mainly by Dr Martin Schwartz, of the National Center for Stuttering, in New York. The "intent to rest" (ITR) is the "mental" part of the technique, whereas the other parts are "physical". ITR is only used in high-stress situations, or in the case of severe word fear. The practical theory behind it is that, in the case of severe word fear, one is fixated to such an extent on the feared word or sound that it is impossible to say that word/sound. In such cases you should actually NOT think about what you want to say, you should rather "think rest", and ONLY AFTER having "thought rest" you should say the word via the technique. ITR is a "mental trick". You "trick" your mind so that it is under the impression that you don't want to say the difficult word, the reason being that when your mind "thinks" that you are going to say the feared word, it will go into conditioned "stuttering mode". However when you "empty" your mind via ITR, the brain does not get the message, with the result that the feared word can be pronounced. ITR is in fact a kind of "mini relaxation exercise". Instead of thinking about the (feared) word, you have to think about relaxing, and only then should you say the word. The correct procedure is: Passive flow together with thinking rest, then say the word softly whilst slowing the first syllable. As mentioned above, ITR is only used in really difficult situations. In most situations applying passive airflow, together with slowed and soft first syllables, should be sufficient in relaxing the vocal cords to such an extent that your speech will be fluent. ITR should be practised daily by sitting relaxed in a nice chair, and then practising passive airflow whilst at the same time thinking rest and also relaxing your whole body. ITR entails a very relaxed frame of mind, not thinking about anything, and in particular not thinking about the feared word. I wish I could demonstrate ITR to you, as it is difficult to explain in words only. Personally I have certainly had success with it, though it is obviously difficult to apply it all the time - but as said, it is only used in the case of extreme word fear. But don't use it if you haven't practised it! I provide the following details of my book in which you will find more details on this approach: Coping with Stuttering, by Peter Louw, 1996, published by Delta Books, a subsidiary of Jonathan Ball Publishers, Box 33977, Jeppestown 2043, Johannesburg, South Africa. Their international telephone number is (2711) 622 2900 and the international fax number is (2711) 622 3553 or 7610. The e-mail address is therbert@jonathanball.co.za Kind regards. Should you wish to reply via e-mail, you can send to my home e-address, being pnmlouw@mweb.co.za Recovery From: Jonathan Bashor Date: 10/8/99 Time: 7:39:00 AM Remote Name: 207.174.156.39 Comments Best wishes to you on your road to recovery ! Two weeks ago I got back into therapy. It's been 20 years since my last attempt. Would you like to correspond via email ? If so, my email address is BashorJR@netscape.net. Re: Recovery From: Pete Hawkes Date: 10/11/99 Time: 12:10:47 PM Remote Name: 212.126.144.12 Comments Jonathan, thanks for your comment, yes an e-mail is on the way to you. :-) + thinking From: Gert Reunes BELGIUM ...Manchester 99 ..?? Date: 10/18/99 Time: 3:27:35 PM Remote Name: 194.78.221.55 Comments Hi Pete, Whow great story and so honest! I didn,t know you are also involved in this conference. The only thing I have to say to you BE + all your life !!! Greetings to your brother! And c.u. at 2001 Belgium Re: + thinking From: Pete Hawkes Date: 10/21/99 Time: 10:03:54 PM Remote Name: 212.126.151.14 Comments Hi Gert, Thanks for your comments yes positive thinking is essential I will try to do more of it and I look forward to Belgium ! VANNA From: GERT REUNES Date: 10/18/99 Time: 3:48:16 PM Remote Name: 194.78.221.120 Comments Hi Pete can you give me the address of the email of VANNA. Because I heard she comes from Greece and may be goes back to Greece. I have visited my whole life Greece and have met also many stutterers in Greece, so I have to ask her questi0ns how things are going there for slp. thanks gert you can mail me on gert.reunes@compaqnet.be Re: VANNA From: Pete Hawkes Date: 10/21/99 Time: 10:05:21 PM Remote Name: 212.126.151.14 Comments Gert, I have e-mailed you her e-mail. With thanks Pete Warneford Hospital Program From: Pamela L. Brophy Date: 10/21/99 Time: 11:28:40 AM Remote Name: 204.169.205.77 Comments I am curious to know how much such a program costs and if insurance covers such a treatment program? Re: Warneford Hospital Program From: Pete Hawkes Date: 10/21/99 Time: 10:09:37 PM Remote Name: 212.126.151.14 Comments Hello Pamela, Thankyou for your question. I assume you are from the U S over here we have a free NHS service and I did not have to pay for this course it was free. However due to limited places and courses available not everyone is as fortunate as me to receive treatment. There are other courses in Britain at the City Lit in London where you pay a small amount but they are still classed as NHS I think. I hope that has helped you and thankyou for your interest.