Stuttering around the world
From an SLP perspective, does stuttering treatment/therapy look similar across languages and cultures? Are there cultures where stuttering is already normalized rather than seemingly disdained (i.e., where PWS don’t feel shameful/embarrassed)?
Thank you for your interesting question.
I don’t have experience living in other cultures, other than my own, here in Ireland. However, my understanding from speaking with people from other countries and cultures is that most have at some point have seen stuttering as a weakness, something to be ridiculed, something that makes the person who stutters ‘other’. In some cultures, people who stutter are seen as defective or even possessed by the devil. I think there is still a lot of ignorance about stuttering and its causes and how it impacts on people and that makes it hard for people who stutter not to be judged by those who don’t stutter. Therefore, I think therapy and treatment for stuttering can vary greatly depending on the level of understanding of stuttering that exists in the community and in the professional world.
Growing awareness of stuttering and campaigns such as that by Stamma – No diversity without disfluency – will go a long way to reduce the shame and embarrassment felt by those who stammer and create a greater awareness among professionals on appropriate treatments for stuttering.
I hope that answers your question.
Veronica
There are countries where stuttering is so wrong, you can’t get a job or a partner, have to hit yourself with a lung of a sheep or drink a lot of water to “cure” stuttering, and where CWS are hit in class to “stop them from stuttering”. And there are countries where stuttering is so accepted, there is no therapy. Google for Kenneth St Louis and his research “IPATS”.
Anita