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From: Lynne Shields
Date: 10 Oct 2005
Time: 08:51:02 -0500
Remote Name: 199.217.208.172
Judith, I do see teens, especially young teens, who are in therapy not entirely by their own wishes. In many cases, kids at this stage may be more interested in sports, the opposite sex, and so many other things. So, for some, their speech may take a back burner. In other cases, a teen may desperately want their stuttering to just go away, but is not able to put the time and energy into the work it takes to achieve better fluency, at least not in the way that they have been taught in their previous therapies. I sometimes recommend that kids be given a break from therapy, usually in cases where I believe that the teen feels pretty comfortable with themselves and with their stuttering. When a 14-year-old is truly not bothered by his stuttering, why should he or she be forced to engage in therapy to change it? Other kids probably could benefit from a change in the focus of their therapy. I'd suggest taking a look with the child at what they have done in therapy over their school-age years. Has the therapy really been focused on their personal needs? If not, what might you work on with them that would really meet their needs? They may need to focus on learning about stuttering, understanding their own stuttering and their feelings about their stuttering. Perhaps their previous therapy has focused on getting them fluent. This may not be a realistic or reasonable goal for them right now. I wish you the best as you find ways to work with your teen clients. They are at an amazing time of their lives, when so much is going on for them. It is such a privilege to engage with them as they figure out how to deal with their stuttering. Regards, Lynne