Normalizing stuttering
How can we continue to normalize stuttering?
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Normalizing stuttering — 2 Comments
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How can we continue to normalize stuttering?
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My first thought when reading your question about “normalizing” stuttering is to say that normalizing stuttering must take place at the level of the individual as well as society as a whole. It’s important to mention that since speech therapy first began, speech pathologists have been trained using the “medical model”. This means that we viewed our clients as having communication “disorders” which required “remediation”. When I was in school, I was taught that my job was to “treat” or provide therapy which would help my clients achieve more “normal” communication skills.
In recent years, the “social model of disability” has been proposed as an alternative to the medical model. According to this model, people who stutter (and others with communication or other types of challenges) are viewed as having differences rather than disorders and the label of “disability” occurs because society has somewhat rigid stereotypes of what is considered “normal”.
While trained in the medical model, I have always believed that my job in therapy is to convey to my clients that it is okay to stutter, not only through what I say, but with my actions as well. If they wish to work on changing their speech, I am willing to work with them to help decrease their struggle behaviors and increase their efficiency and effectiveness as a communicator.
But I also ALWAYS emphasize working on an individual’s feelings and beliefs that may be: creating nonverbal behaviors that draw negative attention; keeping the individual from doing the things they want to do; interfering with the individual achieving their potential. As a result, it can be helpful if therapy encourages clients to explore and discover what it is that listeners react to…that in fact it may not be their repetitions, prolongations, or blocks but their lack of eye contact, struggle behaviors, or attempts to hide their stuttering that interfere with their communication effectiveness and impact their listeners. Also essential in our attempts to normalize stuttering is to expose clients to famous or accomplished individuals who STILL stutter and are successful. Stuttering support groups are critical in this regard so that PWS can meet others who stutter who they can relate to and admire.
Finally, educating the public about stuttering is critically important if we want to normalize stuttering. Many myths and misconceptions exist about stuttering. It is up to people who stutter and their allies (whether family members, friends, or speech pathologists) to dispel these myths and misconceptions and educate others every chance we get. ISAD is one GREAT way to accomplish this! Thanks to all who have made this online conference possible!
Dear Haley,
HI! Thanks for asking questions. This is such a great question and I love my colleague’s answer above. So much great perspectives and education.
One things I seem to think of more and more when thinking about this question is “ownership.” OWNERSHIP from the perspective of PWS and OWNERSHIP from people who do not stutter. Here is what I mean by this.
OWNERSHIP FROM PEOPLE WHO STUTTER: Several times over the past many years I have heard some people who stutter say “The World has to accept me.”, “The world has to change.” Ghandi said it best, “BE the change you wish to see in the world.” Change, acceptance starts with us. As a fellow person who stutters and a professional SLP, taking ownership of my communication is vital to growth and evolving as an effective communicator. The truth is, the world do NOT HAVE TO do anything. Would it be nice if the world “Accepted” and “changed” for people who stutter? Yes! However, advocating for ourselves means taking responsibility for our own change and evolution as a communicator. This also requires educating people about stuttering; all the good and the challenges that might come with it.
OWNERSHIP FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PEOPLE WHO DO NOT STUTTER: This is where the world can take ownership of educating themselves with people who are not like them, and those who do not “appear” to fall in the “norm”(normal is a strange word, however we as humans compare each other all day long as to what is normal or not normal). Stuttering might not be what the fast majority do, however differences make the world a better place. If everyone was the same, we would have the vast wonderfulness of art, music, hobbies, activities, inventions, and more. It is the people who are “not normal” that make huge impacts on the world. So people who do not stutter can learn more about who they themselves are different and learn to celebrate those differences. They can also take ownership of how they treat people who are different in order to make adjustments to their behaviors.
Does the above make sense? Again, when we own our behaviors, actions, and reactions (these involve our thoughts too) we start to see that any changes that needed to made in order for us to navigate the world around us starts with us.
Keep asking questions!
With compassion and kindness,
Scott