Advocating for Students in the Public School
Hello! I am a graduate student completing my degree in Speech-Language Pathology currently! My question is, “What advice do you have for a new speech therapist in safely and effectively advocating for their clients who may stutter in the public school system?” Thank you for taking the time to share each of your personal experiences, and I look forward to what insight you may offer!
Hi Kyla and thank you for your important question.
I have been bullied a lot! By classmates, first pushing, throwing my stuff on the floor, calling me fish (as my mouth would open but nothing came out). But as I am the youngest of seven, the physical bullying I could deal with. So than they started to treat me like thin air. I wasn’t allowed to play with them, come home to them, they walked away when I came closer, I was invisible. But also teachers bullied me. When I asked for help, I was told to just stop stuttering. I was told to be quiet in class as I took up too much time. When I froze I “hadn’t done my homework” (one teacher forced only me to come in front of the class, knowing I couldn’t talk there). And I was told it was no use studiying as I wouldn’t get anywhere anyway. And with my family, teachers, peers and my first job interviewer all told me I was hopeless, that made me try to end my life. So your question means a lot to me.
Yes it’s common for people who are unusual in any way, whether that’s stuttering, the “wrong” clothes, or being “a nerd”. So what we all need is a couple of things.
– Ask questions. Listen. Don’t start focusing on the stutter, but on the person behind the stutter. Who is s/he. What does s/he want, not only from therapy, but also from life. How are relationships with family, friends, school etc. Tell him/her that you’re not judging, not counting syllables, just finding out where s/he is, and where s/he wants to be.
– Talk to the teacher. Make sure them have material on stuttering, even if they say they don’t have students who stutter, as that’s not true. They either don’t recognize them, or teachers say that it’s not a problem. But when I ask if they have spoken to the student, and if it’s a problem for him/her, they look at their feet… Get the teacher to bring up the subject that all people are different. And not just talk about the blind, the deaf, using in a wheelchair, or having “letter diagnosis”. But that there are so many invisible disabilities. Using the ISAD might be too much focus on the stuttering student, but why not use Dec 3, being the international day of people with disabilities, and include stuttering? Or bring a PWS to the class to talk to the teachers and the classmates. And talk about bullying! Some teachers are walking the court during breaks, but are just talking to each other. Some thing that bullying is the physical and oral part, but don’t see the silent bullying. Check out the quiet ones and talk to them.
– Talk to the parents. Some parents deny their child stutters. Others don’t know where to go or what to do, especially when teachers say it’s not a problem, and health care tells them to wait. Now these might be true, but worried parents, parents who carry shame, bring that to their children, who start to realize they are doing something that makes their parents sad, worried or ashamed.
– Talk to the student. Explain bullying is common, but still not OK. That is has nothing to do with you, but with their insecurity. Tell them when it happens, to speak with an adult. And if this adult doesn’t listen, to speak with another. To not think it’s their fault. That stuttering is not their fault. That they are superheroes, doing what is tough and yet doing it anyway. Train them what to do when bullied. From “calmly” walking away, to finding replies like “you might imitate me, but you’ll never be as good at stuttering as I am”, or to simply smile and say “Yup. Sure you’re right, anything you say” (as there’s nothing that takes them off guard as to smile, agree, but with pride, knowing your own worth). And teach them their self-worth. Show them everything they are good at and that not being perfect is good enough, and actually being a good thing, as perfect people are boring. 😉
It’s getting better, but after having hosted camps for children and young adults who stutter, there are so many stories of bullying, even today, we cannot pretend it’s not there, or that schools who have anti-bullying campaigns in their paperwork actually act upon them. Bullying can make or brake a person. So we need to prepare those who are bullied, and stop those who bully, instead of saying “shake hands” or “just ignore the bully”.
Some tips:
Group assignments? Does the CWS get a chance to be heard? Maybe prepare a group that’s mindful and inclusive?
Raising hands? Maybe suggest that the student can point a finger when he knows and wants to speak, and raise a fist when he knows but can’t speak at that moment.
Reading out loud? Maybe a shorter passage? Not in alfabetic order? (But don’t let him skip and feel different or not capable.)
Careers choice? Not everyone stutters all the time. There are PWS who don’t stutter on the phone. There are PWS in most careers. What matters is you have the skill, the personality and the drive. If you do, stuttering might not be a hindrance. If you don’t, it’s not your job, regardless your speech.
Presentation? Maybe make a recording? Speak in front of a smaller group of friends or to the teacher only?
And let them see the whole picture. You’re not your stutter, so don’t let stuttering define you. Everybody is good at things, so try and together make a list of things s/he likes to do, and is good at. And focus on that.
So you have a big, but so thankful job ahead and asking this shows how wonderful an SLP you are.
Keep them talking
Anita