Stop Stuttering

This highly readable, clinically oriented book combines theory and therapy and examines all facets of stuttering, from possible etiologies through assessment to treatment. While considerable uncertainty still exists regarding the precise cause(s) of stuttering, Conture provides the reader with an even-handed coverage of fundamental knowledge, methodology, and procedures for effectively dealing with stuttering in children, teenagers, and adults. The book goes beyond a “how to” manual. Rather, Conture’s clinical handbook provides both students and clinicians a source for principle-based procedures and strategies for the management of stuttering. Focusing on people who stutter as people first and people who stutter second, the material covers assessment and management of stuttering within the realities of everyday living, concomitant speech and language problems and clinical practice. For those in the fields of communication science and disorders and speech pathology.
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Speech Disorders Diagnosis, Nature, Paperback, Stuttering, Treatment

The Child and Adolescent Stuttering Treatment and Activity Resource Guide responds to the continuing demand from speech-language pathologists for specific, hands-on activities that can be used in the evaluation and treatment of fluency disorders (stuttering and cluttering) in children. The guide provides specific decision-making information to help clinicians choose the goals to address, and provides ideas on activities and strategies that can be used to meet these goals. An applied book about therapy, it is full of practical therapeutic ideas, substantiated by solid research information and explanations.

About the Author
Peter Ramig is Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sci (more…)

Stuttering Activity, Adolescent, Child, Guide, Resource, Spiralbound, Stuttering, Treatment

This new Third Edition provides a comprehensive overview of the etiology and development of stuttering and details appropriate approaches to accurate assessment and treatment. A new chapter on related fluency disorders discusses evaluation and treatment of stuttering associated with neurological disease or trauma, psychological disturbance, or mental retardation, and explains how developmental stuttering can be differentiated from these conditions. This edition also features a new chapter on preliminaries to assessment as well as new information on differential diagnosis of stuttering versus other fluency disorders. Appendices include forms for diagnosis and evaluation.

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Stuttering Approach, Hardcover, Integrated, Nature, Stuttering, Treatment

There is no known medical cure for this speech disorder. Most children who experience stuttering at an early age can just normally outgrow this impediment. In this case, treatments and therapies are not needed in their situation. But when a child continues to have this condition at the age of five onwards, then parents should take this seriously. They should consult a speech language pathologist or a speech developmental pediatrician to check is the stuttering is still permissible.

As for stutterers who are already in their adult stage, it has been discovered that their condition did not improve because of the lack of attention from experts, treatment and negligence.

Experts’ Advice

Practice makes permanent. Speech therapists believe that reinforcement of the drills and techniques learned from the therapies can improve a stutterer’s condition. The need for a trained professional may not be necessary anymore if they will just follow the tips and exercises that will help them outgrow this condition.

1. Maintain good posture all the time. Good posture helps a lot in the elimination of speech disorders for both the young and old. It is very effective for people who have a tendency to slur their word when they speak. The slurring of words is associated to stuttering since they are similar in slow production of sounds. The two may be alike in some aspects but some speech therapists claim that having a good posture does not suffice in eradicating this speech disorder. There may be factual scientific basis connecting poor posture to stuttering still it does not hurt much if maintain a good one just to eliminate this possible cause.

2. When producing the sounds of the letters b,d,g,k, and v. It is best to push out your stomach. These are the letters that have the highest occurrence of stuttering. This is because of the air pushing the sounds of these letters are difficult for some people to say properly thus creating a stuttering effect on these letters or even the words containing these letters.

3. Breathe properly. Deep breathing is vital to speech simply because the air flow controls the sound production of letters in words. The proper breathing in and out helps in the proper alignment of the body. This will make it easier for one’s body to control the flow of air coming out of the mouth. Also, proper breathing relaxes the muscles of the body. Keep in mind that anxiety and pressure are major factors influencing this speech disorder. Breathing properly calms one’s nerves and eradicates these factors.

Stuttering Drugs, Treatment

Most people think that only children stutter. Well this may surprise them but a number of adults still suffer from this speech disorder.

Some children who experience stuttering were able to eradicate this speech disorder in a normal manner as they age. This is a remarkable feat for them. However, it is a totally different scenario for adults. Since this disorder has been accompanying them all their lives, the disorder becomes part of them. There have been speech techniques that can help improve their situation. But it does not guarantee anything. They can just one day experience a major relapse.

Since a relapse is very possible, there is a concern whether practitioners who are teaching adult stutterers should focus on improving their speech or just help them face their fear and reality that this speech disorder is permanent.

Experts have their own take on this condition. The more challenging aspect of this speech impediment is improving one’s fluency. This involves speech modification. Some examples are reducing the talk/speech rate, fluency shaping, and easier beginnings as well as pausing.

Stuttering modification therapy is a very popular technique that will help in the easy acceptance of this speech disorder. It has four stages namely identification, desensitization, modification and stabilization.

The first stage which is identification, will help you recognize the events that trigger or cause stuttering. In desensitization, in scenarios that will prompt you to speak in public, you tell your listeners to be more patient and understanding of your speech disorder. The third stage will help you learn to talk and stop. This will enable you to look for easier words to use. Lastly, in stabilization this is more of the reinforcement of the modification stage. You have somewhat attained expert level and just stutter occasionally.

In fluency shaping therapy, one is being taught to speak with relaxed breathing, vocal cords and articulation. You get to learn to breathe properly using your diaphragm. This technique will gently increase vocal fold tension when you stretch vowels or start a word. You sound fluent since you speak in a slower pace.

A person who is suffering from stuttering is accountable to his or her preferred treatment. He or she will decide his or her fate when it comes to his improvement, choice of specialist and therapy.

Some doctors will not agree with just one pro-active choice. Usually they would integrate two pro-active approaches that will help improve this condition. This would mean integrating fluency techniques with those of psychological therapies. In this manner, proper expectations can be set properly.

Some adults have tried scientific breakthroughs like those of electronic devices that can alter how the speaker hears his or her own voice. The most common devices are masking auditory feedback; frequency shifted auditory feedback and delayed auditory feedback.

Delayed auditory and frequency shifted auditory feedback reduces stuttering from 70 to 80%. There are no therapies being integrated with the use of these devices. As for the other remaining device, there are not enough studies that can validate its affectivity. Although it has some promising results because it can pull users out of their silent block episodes.

Drugs can also help reduce stuttering. They are most popularly knows as dopamine antagonist medications. The only problem about these pills is that they have side effects and only reduce 50% of stuttering.

Stuttering is one speech disorder that does not have a permanent cure unlike other disorders. The technique applied to one stutterer may not be helpful to another patient. It is finding the appropriate therapy that will work best for you. If you are adult who still experience stuttering. Integrate all the techniques that you know with the necessary acceptance that you have with your condition. This will bring better and lasting results. In the long run this will make you a better speaker with minimized episodes of stuttering.

Stuttering Adults, Treatment

What do you know about stuttering? Everybody experiences this, especially when the pressure is on and the stress is becoming too unbearable. What most people do not know is that this is actually a medical condition which symptoms include repetition, stumbling on words or prolonging words while speaking and looks disconnected with his or her thoughts.

The Factors

Stuttering may likely run in families. But up to now, it is still unclear how the genetic factors affect this condition.  Experts are looking into the neurological aspect causing this speech disorder. There are some evidences that point to this as the source of the condition.

The Stages

You will notice that little kids do stutter. But they only do so for a short period of time. Only a little percentage from such case will develop the situation into something of a medical condition. They usually go from repeating consonants or having a hard time starting out their thoughts into repeating of words, phrases and sentences. Studies show that this will likely to develop more on males than females on the adulthood phase.

This speech disorder is more common on kids from age’s three to five. It should just be a passing phase. Their speech should normalize once they develop their own speech patterns as well as their self confidence. If you pay too much attention on this speech flaw it might just worsen the condition. The child will become very conscious that instead of overcoming it he or she will just dwell in self pity.

An individual who has this can overcome this speech disorder by reading aloud if when alone. Another effective technique is singing out the words to improve fluidity of pronounced words.

The Treatment

If the stuttering is very obvious then there is no need to examine and individual manifesting this speech disorder. Diagnostic exams will only be conducted when the disorder is more than just having a speech difficulty and other conditions arise.

Kids experience the stuttering and tend to just resolve this condition naturally. This is the part that is mind boggling for most experts. That is why tests are still on-going to find the real cause and the best cure for this condition. If in any case this condition becomes uncontrollable then one must need to undergo speech therapy.

The Setbacks

The tendency of most stutterers is to shy away once they experience the bullying from other people. They become introverted and this affects their social skills. They would prefer to be alone than socialize and experience further humiliation. To avoid this scenario, parents should take an active role in the intervention and prevention of this harsh treatment by other people.

When stuttering is greatly affecting a child’s behavior, parents should intervene. They should talk to the teachers so that information will be disseminated to the students. In this manner, the bullying is minimized if not completely stopped. Parents should also need to consult a medical expert. Do not allow your child to suffer and miss out on a lot of good things life has to offer.

Stuttering Families, Notes, Stammering, Stuttering, Treatment