Hi!
I am currently in my undergrad to be a speech-language pathologist and have always been interested in working with people who stutter. I was wondering, do you or have you ever been to a speech pathologist, and if so did they help you with your stutter? Do you feel that it is important to have a good/strong relationship with your speech pathologist?
Hello,
another person had the same question : https://isad.live/quick-question/
Look at the most recent posts of Talk to a PWS, where you will have more details answers
Best,
Mounah
In my keynote speech for the ISA World Congress http://stutteringiscool.com/podcast/therapy-smorgasbord/ I spoke about just that. As PWS are such a huge variation of people, all with a different stutter, a different background, with different experiences AND with different wants and needs, there is no one therapy for all. One might want fluency, another might want confidence, the third might want public speaking skills, the fourth might simply want relaxation. A multi-disciplinary approach, with not just clinicians, but also using yoga, song, mindfulness and massage might do the trick. Just like going to the gym is not for all. Sometimes the tools aren’t right, sometimes the clinician/trainer, sometimes the time isn’t right. So by listening to the client and, together with the client, find a smorgasbord of activities to pick from, and maybe invite a friend to the therapy room to help your client with the challenges and exercises outside the therapy room might be the key. (Just as it’s more fun to do tough things together with a friend.) So, give the client a smorgasbord, explain the different “dishes” and let the client pick and choose and give it a try. It’s the combination of “flavors” that can make the perfect “dish”. Being in this “kitchen” together, client and clinician, makes a team and can maybe create new “dishes”, instead of a teacher-student situation where one simply does what he is told, leaving the room with a sigh of relief. And what is more rewarding than for a client to feel proud and wanting to keep on expending comfort zones and new speaking levels, and for the clinician to watch and cheer the client, you’ve been coaching, reaching new levels. The books need to be rewritten, from counting stuttered syllables, risking to silence the client, to counting life successes, as that’s what really matters.
Stay safe and keep talking
Anita
I have seen a number of generalist SLPs in my early life. My stuttering was severe and still can be. I did find that seeing the SLP once per week was helping me in the clinic situation but as I was only working on it for a short period in the clinic I found it very difficult to transfer it to the “real world”. It wasn’t until I attended an a 3 week intensive that I was able to get some lasting result that was able to be transferred into real life. I think the SLP has a responsibility to a potential client that if they take them on as a client they need to know that they have the skills to help that client otherwise that become a frustrating and expensive exercise for the client and may turn that person off seeking treatment in the future from a clinic that might have more experience that could have the potential of delivering better results. This should not deter the SLP only point out that adult stuttering treatment tends to be a somewhat specialised area and can involve and equal amount of “psychological work” as much as it will involve some “speech work”. What I am saying there is that many people who stutter have determined that they have achieve a level of success by just working on accepting their stuttering rather than trying to completely eliminate it by constantly trying to use speech therapy methodologies.
Hello,
I have not had ‘formal’speech therapy but I have a very good relationship with an SLT. It’s important you mentioned having good relationship with your therapist.
I have benefited immensely from my relationship with her. I would say I receive casual therapy from her anytime we interact and that for me has been good therapy for me all these years.
So yes, I believe having a good relationship with your SLT goes a long way to benefit you. Your SLT now genuinely becomes interested in your wellbeing and this will talk the help beyond the confines of the therapy room.