Hi-
Hope everyone is enjoying the snow. We are snowed in here in NY. Hoping to get out later so my daughters can see The King’s Speech.
I wanted to share this article I wrote for the NSA and hope it helps other parents of children who stutter. Drive Safe and stay warm. Lori
I want to wish everyone a happy holiday season and happy and healthy New Year!!!
I thought you would enjoy a link written by the writer of The King’ Speech-David Seidler:
Best wishes for the New Year! Lori Melnitsky
In honor of International Stuttering Awareness Day, I would like to share an article on stuttering. I highly recommend reading it to increase understanding about stuttering. It reminded me of my own past experiences stuttering in school. It is a difficult time for children in general and stuttering only poses additional challenges. I love the title and the insight this author has (who is also a person who stutters).
http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Have-mercy-on-kids-who-stutter-716102.php
It was written by Pam Mertz, creator of www.stutterrockstar.wordpress.com.- a blog entitled “Make Room for the Stuttering”.
I have been getting too many calls from parents lately who are incorrectly relating stuttering to IQ. Most of you who read my blog know this but I am hoping some new people glance at it. Many successful people who stutter have high IQs. Please read the articles on the International Stuttering Online Conference-INSPIRE. Many of the readings are written by successful and bright PWS. www.stutteringhomepage.com. Thanks for reading.
******Stuttering Workshop-October 13, 2010-www.allislandspeech.com*******
Ask about our teen intensives
I stutter and I am ok. This is when I decided I could help others who stutter.
Tonight I spent time with my parents, my brother n law, sister n law and family. At the end of the night, I asked my father if I argued often as a child. I knew I did, but couldn’t remember exactly what age I went through the difficult teens. My father has a way of responding without criticizing. He said I did but had a reason to-I was frustrated because I could not talk. He understood because he stuttered too and felt the same way. He remarked how amazing it is to go through such difficult times and then almost forget.
I left and as we were driving home couldn’t help searching inside my head for that defining moment that made me realize that stuttering was ok. It took many years into my 40s and the journey to get here was long. I have to be honest that I am not sure there was a specific moment, but hearing others success helped as well as talking about stuttering. Also, never giving up and developing a thick skin helped.
Acceptance is so important but so is learning the tools along the way. I would love to hear from other adults or teens as to what their defining moments were that made stuttering ok.
Also, I would love to hear success stories about successful stuttering treatment. Please feel free to post. tks so much. Lori
Please contact me if you would like to pursue online stuttering therapy. Teens and adults love it. Great easy onset and prolongation program.
I opened my e-mail yesterday and read that Catherine Otto Montgomery, speech pathologist, passed away from cancer. I was in shock. Sometimes after someone is gone you realize what a huge impact they had on your life. I hadn’t spoken to her in several years, but I first went to see her as a severe stutterer in 1988. I just finished a three week intensive course in Virginia and was having difficulty maintaining my fluency. I felt like a failure. What had I done wrong? Will I be blocking for the rest of my life? I coudn’t live like that. Stuttering was ruling my life. From the minute I met her, she made me feel better about myself. At that time, the emphasis of speech therapy was mainly fluency and fluency shaping skills. However, Catherine was aware how traumatic growing up with stuttering could be and the adverse impact it could have on your life. She knew that I was an accountant and miserable. I had wanted to go back to school for speech pathology and she never questioned that. She was non judgmental. She worked with me first individually and then in a week long intensive. For someone like me, who had stuttered severely for years and had allowed it to rule my life, I needed someone to “get it”. It was amazing that she could almost get inside my head. She didn’t stutter but had a unique understanding of the disorder. She introduced me to the option institute, countless books and meditation tapes and gave me hope. Years later I would go back for several weeklong intensives and call her for phone consults. I watched her evolve as a true professional, fluency specialist and genuine person.
Years later, when I became a speech pathologist, she opened up AIS to me so I could observe clients to pursue my fluency specialization. As I was in my office today working with my clients, I realized so many of the self help books I recommend came from her. She helped me gain the level of fluency I wanted, accept myself for who I was inside and taught me to be a better speech pathologist. She taught me the power of perserverance, self talk, and intensive therapy. She taught me to stop beating myself up for stuttering. She helped me become a better listener to my fluency clients and accept people unconditionally. I don’t know what more to say, except there is one less unique person and speech pathologist in this world. May her legacy live on and shine in all the people she has helped.
I want to refer you to www.stutteringjack.com. Jack is not a speech pathologist but is a pws. He gives a concise explanation of prolonged speech, retraining our muscles how to be used properly, the power of maintenace, and breathing. It is a good explanation and worth reading.
I have noticed that many adults who stutter get too caught up in terminology. They use words like fluency shaping, targets, tools, techniques. The important element is that we understand we are trying to reteach ourselves how to speak as fluently as possible. This applies basically after age 6, but is taught in different manners for different age groups.
A type of prolonged speech or fluency shaping is something I use and practice daily. In the therapy room, it is important to exaggerate. It is also important to exaggerate among family members and close friends. Ideally, it is best for adults to learn in an intensive manner, a miminum of 3 hours at a time. Why? because it is difficult to use and become a habit. It takes between 21 to 30 days for habits to form. If you come once a week for an hour, chances are you will not be practicing in the correct manner to succeed. This is when I get the phone calls that break my heart. These are from parents or adults who say previous therapies have failed. I am appalled by what I hear. It is vital to go to speech therapists who have had years of experience and SUCCESS dealing with stuttering. Ideally, if you can use a speech therapist who has achieved a greater degree of fluency even better. I say that not only because I am a SLP who stuttered severely as a child, but also because no one understands stuttering better than someone who has gone through the anguish. No one understands the pain in not being able to get a word out and the joy in feeling fluent other than someone who has experienced it daily.
Yesterday I was working with a beautiful 11 year old girl. She practices daily and has started to become more fluent. I listened as this young girl talked non-stop for almost a half hour. She had a huge smile on her face that was filled with relief. We talked how there is no cure for stuttering, BUT she can definitely achieve a high degree of fluency. She had some great comebacks for boys who tell her she is quiet. I am so impressed by the people I work with and their dedication.
In conclusion, prolonged speech when practiced with dedication and in the right manner will produce improved fluency. Once the foundation is mastered, we can start adding back intonation and more natural sounding speech. tks for reading and I look forward to your comments.
- All Island Speech Therapy & Rehabilitation, PC
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