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From: Paulette
Date: 21 Oct 2007
Time: 20:45:43 -0500
Remote Name: 70.144.93.216
Hello Ms. Silverman, I enjoyed reading your article. I found your reflections on children to be of great importance in the topic of stuttering. I have read previous posts asking questions about parental concerns with children who stutter. However, as a future speech-language pathologist, I am concerned about how I may impact my young clients' awareness of stuttering. Through my observations of other speech-language pathologists, I have often experienced scenarios in which children are commended for their "slow, easy, gentle speech." The SLP is helping the child become mindful of their speech, but I am now considering or wondering if this awareness may not have the reverse effect of what the SLP or parents have intended. As referenced in your article, the child may not have even been aware that he/she had a speech problem. What are your thoughts and feelings of such comments to children in the intervention process? Do you think such comments have the reverse effects from what parents or SLP's may have intended? Do you think these positive statements are being internalized into a negative awareness within the mind of the child?