Advice for my students
Hello! My name is Leslie and I am a graduate student studying Speech-Language Pathology. I have been in the school setting for quite sometime and I am constantly learning. I work with students Preschool-4th grade. What advice would you give younger students looking for encouragement as they are still learning about stuttering and discovering themselves? I would appreciate any feedback. Thank you so much.
Hi Leslie,
I think that it is important to always keep your therapy developmentally appropriate and fun! It is important to talk about stuttering openly, honestly, without judgement and allow space for your student to talk about it as well. It is so easy to slip into a “bad speech” or “good speech” description and language drives emotions, so be cautious about the language you use. Listening is a key part of your role and a simple “I wonder what it is like for you…” can generate a lot of self-discovery and help you as a therapist discover that child as well.
thanks for your question,
Rita
Rita,
Thank you so much for responding to me. I really appreciate this feedback and want to incorporate your advice into my sessions. I agree that it so important to be mindful of the language used and to keep therapy a safe place for my students to feel comfortable. I would love for my students to reflect and share with me their self-discoveries. This is something I am sure parents would love to be involved in too. Again, thank you so very much for your helpful advice.
Leslie