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Ask A Professional – Graduate Student Questions – For PWS — 3 Comments

  1. Collin,
    I have found that teaching the client to become his or her own therapist is one of the most effective ways for them to progress in their therapy.
    In order to motivate them I ask them to keep a journal and keep a record of short selfie clips while talking on the phone.
    Gunars

  2. Hi Collin, thanks for your question. Beyond the early intervention years, stuttering tends to be persistent, variable, and complex. Because of this, there is generally a need to address more in therapy than just fluency. In my therapy with school-age children who stutter, and in my consulting work with my colleagues in my school district, I focus on helping students to become the best overall communicators they can be, whether fluent, disfluent, or stuttering at any given time. Based on Kristin Chmela’s work, overall communication skills are developed across five domains of communication competence: Attentive (being “in” the conversation, being aware of when communication is easier and harder, responding and connecting); Assertive (moving toward communication, saying what you want, resisting time pressure, not avoiding); Confident (self-assurance as portrayed by eye contact, posture, body language, volume of voice); Effective (getting one’s message across, greater ease of communication, more efficient rate of information flow); and Proactive (making plans, setting goals, and following through; and honesty about communication). Our model – Basic Principle Problem Solving – was discussed in my 2017 ISAD submission, https://isad.live/isad-2017/papers-presented-by/research-therapy-and-support/fluency-consulting-in-a-metropolitan-school-district-helping-school-slps-understand-stuttering/. I’d encourage you to take a look.

    Regarding relationship (Basic Principle #2), some sample reflecting questions include the following:
    • Are relationships between all parties positive?
    • How often do I ask open-ended questions of the child so as to discover more about the child’s perceptions, feelings & attitudes?
    • How often do I assess my qualities of being a good listener?
    • How often am I in contact with parents, caregivers, teachers regarding their desires & perceptions, whether it be in person, by phone or via e-mail?
    • Am I rigorous about positively supporting the child with a severe problem?
    There is so much more to say. This is just a start. Wishing you the best in your studies and career,

    Rob Dellinger

  3. Gunars and Rob Dellinger,

    Thank you both for your shared insight in the replies! I especially realize the value of helping the person regain a sense of control and making sure that I am empathetic and flexible in how I approach each person with stuttering of any age, culture, etc.

    I look forward to learning more and hopefully be of greater service to those with stuttering as I continue through graduate school as well as a future speech-language pathologist.

    Sincerely,

    Collin