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From: Dori
Date: 25 Oct 2004
Time: 19:59:55 -0500
Remote Name: 65.73.101.79
I am currently a speech language pathology student and I found your article to bring back memories, but also to be wonderful. I know the fustration of continueous contradictions that are handed to you by the "ones that should know" the answers.I am working to be the informative, caring,and supportive speech pathologist that will never cause these heartaches and continuous contradictions.Information like yours and your son inspires me more each day. I was just wondering some of your thoughts and outcomes to your story. If you don't mind me asking, after I have went on forever, "Did you find any of the given strategies,(change your speech patterns), to remain constant suggestions through any of the therapists"? The "change your speech patterns" suggestion is pretty common -- slow down, make could eye contact, etc. That was pretty consistent. Not that that's bad advice, just not enough. In my opinion, too much focus is put on changing/manipulating the environment -- which is next to impossible to do to the extent that it's going to be helpful. I can't control friends,extended family, social situations, nor can he depend on that for fluency. You also mentioned that the second to the last session his stuttering returned with vengeance. The therapist at that time said you had been through therapy for that before.You know what to do. Did you ever come to a conclusion what she/he had ment? I think that she didn't even know what she meant. After talking to many professionals in the field, especially those dealing with the general "speech" population, they admit that they know little about how to treat stuttering. I don't think she meant to be flippant, I just don't think she knew any better. It's hard for therapist to make time to educate the parents -- and the information out there is either quite technical or geared only toward manipulating the environment and the parent/child relationship. That's why I'm working on a book for parents that simplifies the field. Wish me luck and best of luck to you! THanks for listening and for the great questions.