Advocating
I am a graduate student in the Speech Pathology Program in a fluency class this semester. How can I best educate families on how to advocate for those who stutter to ensure they are understanding and not being dismissive? How do you feel best supporter by others?
To bshaw-
It is much easier to work with clients who stutter if their families are on board – if they understand what stuttering is and how they can be supportive of their loved one who stutters. I have found that often, parents/significant others think they are helping (i.e. by reminding the person to use their strategies) when in reality, they may be conveying (inadvertently) that how their loved one speaks is more important than what they have to say. I have found that when parents of children who stutter meet other parents of children who stutter, some very helpful conversations can happen, especially if there are slp’s present to keep these conversations productive. This happens naturally at support group meetings for children who stutter. Often, those parents who have attended NSA (National Stuttering Association) or FRIENDS conventions have learned a LOT about how to support their children and teens who stutter. These parents then can become mentors for other parents who haven’t yet had the opportunity to attend these conventions. While it is easy for us, as slp’s to guide parents in how to become supportive, sometimes it means more if coming from another parent.
Tricia
Hello bshaw and thank you for your questions.
I think the first step might be to inform the person and their family of the existence of communities of people who stutter.
Stigma is extremely prevalent in society, and it might be difficult to change the way stuttering is viewed without the support of a community.
In her comment, Tricia mentioned NSA and Friends. Groups like these can make a difference, especially for children and adolescents.
Hope this helps!
Andrea