Identifying stuttering in an individual's speech would seem like an easy task. Disfluencies often stand out and disrupt a person's communication. Listeners can usually detect when a person is stuttering.at the same time, however, stuttering can affect more than just a person observable speech. Some characteristics of stuttered speech are not as easy for listeners to defect. As a result, diagnosing stuttering requires the skills of a certified speech-language pathologist (SLP).
During an evaluation, an SLP will note the number and types of speech disfluencies a person produces in various situations. The SLP will also assess the ways in which the person reacts to and cope with disfluencies. The SLP may also gather information about factors such as teasing that may make the problem worse. A variety of other assessments (e.g, speech rate, language skills) may be completed as well, depending upon the person's age and history. Information about the person is then analyzed to determine whether a fluency disorder exists. If so, the extent to which it affects the ability to perform and participate in daily activities is determined.
For young children, it is important to predict whether the stuttering is likely to continue. An evaluation consists of a series of tests, observations and interviews designed to estimate the child's risk for continuing to stutter. Although there is some disagreement among SLPs about which risk factors are most important to consider, factors that are noted by many specialists include the following
- a family history of stuttering
- stuttering that has continued for 6months or longer
- presence of other speech or language disorders
- strong fears or concern about stuttering on the part of the child or the family
- help the individual speak more fluently
- communicate more effectively,and
- participate more fully in life activities
Most treatment programs for people who stutter are "behavioral". They are designed to teach the person specific skills or behaviors that leads to improved oral communication. For instance,many SLPs teach people who stutter to control and/or monitor the rate at which they speak.In addition,people may learn to start saying words in a slightly slower and less physically tense manner. They may also learn to control or monitor their breathing. When learning to control speech rate, people often begin by practicing smooth,fluent speech at rates that are much slower than typical speech,using short phrases and sentences. Over time, people learn to produce smooth speech at faster rates, in longer sentences, and in more challenging situations until speech sounds both fluent and natural. "Follow-up" or "Maintenance" sessions are often neccessary after completion of formal intervention to prevent relapse.
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS WORKING WITH A STUTTERER
SLPs are professionals trained to treat every issues pertaining to speech, through medicals and therapy. SLPs work to help people who stutter lessen the impact or severity of disfluency when it occurs. The goal is not so much to eliminate disruptions in fluency which many people find difficult to do but to minimize their impact upon communication when they do occur. people may be taught to identify how they react to or cope with breaks in speech fluency. They learn other reactions that will lead to fluent speech and effective communication. For instance, a person who often produces long, physically tense disfluencies would learn to modify these disfluencies so that they become fleeting, relatively effortless breaks in speech.Aspeople become better at managing fluency in therapy, they practice the newly learned skills in real life situations.
People usually find that these behavioral strategies are relatively easy to implement during therapy activities. In contrast,people may find that day-to-day fluency management at least in the early stages of treatment is hard work! use of the various fluency management techniques requires mental effort. It is one thing to manage or monitor speech rate in a quite, controlled setting like a therapy room, but quite another in a noisy, fast-paced office or classroom. For this reason, SLPs often work with family members, teachers and others on what to expect from therapy. Generally,it is not reasonable to expect that a person who stutters will be able to monitor or control his speech fluency at all times of the day in all situations.
Traditionally, there has been some reluctance to treat stuttering during the preschool years. This reluctance has stemmed from at least two sources: the observation that many children "outgrow" stuttering, and the belief that therapy heightens a child's awareness of fluency difficulty which in turn increases the child's risk for persistent stuttering. Current thinking is somewhat different from these traditional views, however. It is now generally agreed that early intervention for stuttering is desirable. If treatment is recommended for preschoolers, the approaches taken usually are somewhat different from those used with older children and adults. Parent and/or SLPs may model smooth speech. SLPs teach parent when,where,and how to implement these treatments.
In addition to the approaches described above, a variety of assistive devices have been developed to help those who stutter speak more smoothly. Most of these assistive devices alter the way in which an individual hears his or her voice while speaking. The devices often are small,so they fit in or behind a speaker's ear, though the functioning and effectiveness varies in different individuals. Research is ongoing to identify
- why some people benefit from the devices more than others
- whether the devices can be made to be more effective
- how much improvement one might expect in fluency when a device is used either alone or with speech therapy
- whether the benefits last over time.
When next you encounter a stutterer, you already have these tips with you. Rather than getting infuriated, act as a PROFESSIONAL.
AMERICAN SPEECH-LANGUAGE-HEARING ASSOCIATION.
