Neurological Stuttering
Hi, my name is Kenzie and I’m a graduate student in SLP. One of my patients at a SNF placement began stuttering after a stroke and is very frustrated by it. It hasn’t caused him to share less or communicate inaccurately, but because he has verbally expressed frustration and wants to alleviate his stutter, I’d like to give him some techniques or strategies to try. What techniques or strategies would you recommend for a person with neurological stuttering?
Hi Kenzie,
Neurological stuttering is a totally different kind of stuttering. Nevertheless is acceptance very important, because it makes the struggle less.
Although I am not a fan of fluency shaping, I sometimes return to it when the stuttering is neurological. And try to find out what situations make it easier and which make it harder. If you can find that out together, it can help your client to understand it better and accept it in certain situations and to make choices.
-Manon-
Hi Kenzie,
Thank you for your question. As Manon has indicated, coming to terms with stuttering that is newly acquired can be difficult and as your client has experienced feel frustrating. Validating their experience is essential. Counselling skills which support clients to come to terms with the changes and helping them move towards acceptance of stammering can be helpful, enabling them to have self compassion and giving themselves space to stammer. I use elements of compassion focussed therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy. I find these are helpful when people are experiencing frustration – either in allowing the feeling to be present, letting it pass, or even a reduction in the sensation. Again, like Manon, I am not a fan of fluency shaping but I do believe in clients having informed choices. Like stuttering itself, every person’s experience of it is different, so therapy must be individualised. Therapy can certainly reduce the frustration, tension and struggle, can help people communicate more comfortably.