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From: Candice Cepeda
Date: 16 Oct 2010
Time: 17:19:27 -0500
Remote Name: 149.119.216.6
Hey Peter, nice posting. I definitely agree on the ambiguity that the term "fluency" has within the field of speech language pathology. By the definition given by Webster, fluent is defined as "capable of flowing; capable of flowing with ease and grace." People who stutter have the capability to speak and form words and sentences, despite difficulties they may have of producing certain sounds or stings of sounds- thus have a flow of speech. However, it is the "ease and grace" of flow that they struggle with. This has become an umbrella term that can relate to many disorders and difficulties besides stuttering. For example, people with apraxia, aphasia, and lisps may all be affected by a difficulty in producing smooth and fluid speech production. In addition, what about a child who has difficulty with decoding sounds, for instance, while reading. This child may stop and start their words to sound things out multiple times while reading a single sentence. Does this mean that the child is not fluent? This ambiguity proves that there is a need to be more specific when discussing fluency in order to understand the root problem. The term may be commonly used today to deter away from the negativity and stigma that terms such as 'stuttering' possess. However, in terms of treatment, speech language pathologists should use vocabulary that is more specific when helping clients come to a full understanding of what their difficulties are- not just that they are not 'fluent'. -Candice C.