Speech Therapy Assessment Tips For Fluency DisordersDuring the assessment of an individual with suspected fluency disorder, there are some things to remember to make the assessment more comprehensive and useful. Here are some of those critical points to take note of during assessment.Benefits Of Obtaining Both Reading and Conversation SampleIt is more beneficial to obtain both reading and conversation sample from school children and adults because this would give more reliability and credibility to the samples taken. Since stuttering varies in different situations, a reading and conversation sample would allow the clinician to see the behaviors of the person in two different tasks. A conversational speech sample is likely to have more variability, while a reading passage would likely have less variability. Information To Assess MotivationThrough interview, a therapist can learn a lot from his client. In fact, insight about the client’s motivation could be seen by asking the following questions like ”What do you believe caused you to stutter?”, “Has you stuttering changed or caused you more problems recently?, “Why did you come in for help at the present time?”, “ Are there times or situations when you stutter more? Less? What are they?”.Benefits Of Continuing EvaluationNo individual could be understood in an hour or two; that’s why continuing of evaluation is recommended. The clinician might overlook an important element at times and some times a vital clue will not be present in the samples of behavior taken from the limited time of the evaluation period. Note The Difference When Assessing Feelings and AttitudesAssessing a school-age child’s feelings and attitudes would require the clinician to establish rapport and to get to know the child much better after some time, because the clinician’s judgment is also a fair measurement in the case of school-age children. Talking to the child and observing his behaviors would be necessary. When the clinician has known the child much better, he could administer the A-19 Scale to the child. Other methods could also be used such as “Worry Ladder” and  “Hands Down” that could be found in the workbook, The School-Age Child Who Stutters: Working Effectively with Attitudes and Emotions.For adults and adolescents assessment of feelings and attitudes are usually done by administering tools such as, the Modified Erickson Scale of Communication Attitudes, the Stutterer’s Self-Rating of Reactions to Speech Situations, the Perceptions of Stuttering Inventory and the Locus of Control of Behavior Scale.Remember The Role Of The IEP TeamAn Individualized Education Program (IEP) team is appointed to a child to be the ones to consider reports by the clinician and other information. They decide if the child meets the state’s eligibility standards and if the child’s stuttering has a negative effect on his education. If a child is eligible for services measurable, the IEP team sets goals and short-term objectives for the child. They also provide services needed by the child for improvement in the educational setting.Goals Of Trial TherapyTrial therapy for a school-age child is done to understand what approach might work and what might be difficult for him. This could increase the child’s motivation and positive outlook for the treatment. In the case of adults and adolescents, trial therapy is done for 3 main reasons. First, is to get an idea of how a client would respond to different therapy approaches. Second, is to make a differential diagnosis between developmental, neurological or psychological stuttering. Third, it gives a preview to the client of what to expect during therapy sessions, in effect it would give them motivation to go on their treatment.

Steve Cownleyhttp://allsortsofbits.comoj.com/

Review

A tremendous book relating NLP to stuttering in an accessible and practical way. — Marjorie Rosenthal Foer, MA, Speech-Language PathologistAt long last, speech language therapists and stutterers have the tools to address the habits that drive the speech block.” — John C. Harrison, National Stuttering AssociationFull of illuminating questions and practical exercises to help people who stammer ‘reframe’ speaking. An excellent resource. — Jan Anderson, British Stammering A (more…)

I had attempted various forms of stuttering therapy but had found little benefit from any of them, perhaps this was my bad attitude or maybe it was the standard of treatment that I was receiving. In my opinion stuttering is a very complex subject and unless you have had the problem yourself, it would be very difficult to understand just what it is like to have this form of speech impediment.

I spoke to my family and friends about the fact that I was planning to attempt to achieve fluency and they vowed to help me as much as they could. I was aware that was no miracle pill to cure stuttering and that it would take quite a long time; the rewards would be so massive that I was willing to wait.

My self-confidence had been eroded because of my inability to speak fluently and I believed that if I could some how find a way to increase my overall self-esteem that I would have a chance to eradicate the stutter. When I was drunk my confidence would be on a high, I knew that I could not be intoxicated on a permanent basis however.

It was a long road but a road that did eventually lead to fluency. I am now thirty-four years of age, I am fluent and I now do not drink any alcohol whatsoever.

By: blueboy

One-to-one speech courses

Without doubt the most popular form of stuttering therapy course are the ones that are held on a one-to-one basis. The people who attend this type of course are aware that the speech coach is able to fully concentrate on themselves and in that way they can obtain the maximum from the sessions. The majority of these courses are run by specially trained speech therapists however there are now people offering these type of courses who have previously had experience of stuttering themselves. Typically the courses are held over a five-day period however there are a couple of shorter courses available such as a three-day course and a two-day weekend course.

Group speech courses

There are also group speech therapy classes available, this is where around twenty people attend the same course at the same time. One of the negative aspects to these type of courses is the fact that it is very easy for a person to hide away or to become kind of invisible. It is quite difficult for the speech coach to equally divide his/her time between all of the course members and it is usually the more confident of attendees who can seem to gain the most.

Stuttering therapy dvd

In the last couple of years a new form of stuttering treatment has developed, the stuttering therapy dvd. This type of therapy is aimed at helping people who are unable to attend a course and who would rather attempt to eradicate their stutter from the comfort of their own home.

By: blueboy

I started stuttering when I was four years of age. My childhood and my early adult life were very much affected by this most frustrating form of speech impediment.

My parents, who saw how much it troubled me, sought help, in the early years, via taking me to a local speech therapist. Even now, at the age of thirty-four, I can clearly remember how much I disliked attending these classes.

Possibly due to my bad attitude but also due to the quality, or lack of it, of the speech therapist, I struggled to improve my fluency. In fact as I became older the worse the stutter became.

As I entered into my teenage years, I became more and more frustrated with my lack of improvement via speech therapy and also with the fact that I actually had a stutter. I was starting to feel a little sorry for myself.

At around the age of fifteen I asked a speech therapist if there was a cure for stuttering, he told me that there was not. I could not believe it and my heart sank, I could not bear having this horrible speech impediment for the rest of my life.

At the age of sixteen I became drunk for the first time, it may seem strange but I loved the feeling! I had so much confidence and my speech seemed to improve with every bottle I drank.

This was, for me, a breakthrough. I was able to talk when drunk, therefore I should be able to talk when I am sober – there is no excuse.

The cure for stuttering is not to be in a permanent drunken state but it just proved that I did have the capability of talking fluently.

I then had the task of developing this into a full blown cure for stammering and stuttering.

By: blueboy

Around a decade ago, a visit to the local speech therapist seemed to be the only option available for people who had a stutter. The main reason to attend speech therapy was the hope that it would provide some form of fluency and a potential cure for stuttering.

These hopes would basically be dashed after just one visit. Instead of explaining a treatment program that if followed with hard work and determination would lead to fluency, the speech therapist would state that they did not believe that there was a cure for a stutter and that the person should accept that they had the stutter. What great advice!

I am somebody who had a stutter and I went home feeling disgusted with the speech therapy that I was given. What I could not understand, at that tender age of just eight, was why at times I could talk very well when at other times I would struggle to say a single word. Surely if somebody could find an answer to this then a cure would not be far away. The big frustration was the fact that nobody was seemingly looking for a stuttering cure and that they had all just accepted that it was not possible to overcome it.

Despite the negative attitude that I was hearing from the speech therapists, I did feel that I had hope. I knew that these speech therapists had never suffered with a stutter and that in reality they could not fully understand what it was like to have this form of speech impediment, there is only so much that you can learn via a book.

After living life with a stutter for around eighteen years, I decided to attempt to search for my own cure for stuttering and I have now been fluent for the last eleven years.

By: blueboy