Hi

Techniques that I remember from my youth were not very helpful, as they only focused on breathing. F ex I was asked to say the days of the week and repeat as many times as possible in one breath. Well, I played the saxophone ? With another one we drank a lot of tea where she was listening to my stories. Nice, but when I felt I wasn’t going anywhere after a year, I wanted to stop. And she replied by throwing it all back in my face. That everyone was right, it was my fault, I was a quitter, etc. Another one let me talk and read with a hand on my tummy. And everytime I stuttered, she interrupted me, which had me focus on what I was doing “wrong” even more. I tried hypnosis, but couldn’t get in the hypnosis state. I even tried a pyrit stone in my pocket. A healer got rid of my shame.

But things got better. Today I have learned techniques that help me stutter less.

The techniques that helped me are
1. selfesteem. The better I feel about myself, the better I speak. Fluency is one thing, but if I don’t love and accept myself, I’m building a tower in the swamp, and risk to fall so hard, it can make me silent, or be afraid of every word, as fluency might become the only “right” thing. NLP and Mindfullness have helped me to no longer feel bad about myself for stuttering, and to move on and stop altering.
2. public speaking. Good speakers use body language, voice, pausing, etc. By studying speakers I like to watch and listen to, and learning from them, my speech has increased. It is, and will always be a roller coaster, but I can use the techniques when I feel I need to use them. And the acceptance to feel ok when I decide to not use techniques and just stutter on. I also feel good by relaxation techniques. And of course peers who cheer for me on good days and who pull me up when I’m not feeling good. My “Stamily” has been crucial to get me back on my feet and to stand with me on my journey.

The hard part, but also the part that makes your job so exiting and interesting is that we PWS are all different, and that we come to your for different reaons. Some want fluency, some want a toolbox to simply get out of a block or get a slightly smoother speech, others might want to get help to educate a family member to get him/her off their back. 😉 So start by creating a relation with your client by listening what s/he wants, have an open mind and think out of the box, and offer a mix of tools to give it a try and see what fits this very client. And don’t hesitate to ask. As you’re the expert on treatment, but your client is the expert on his/her stutter, so together you can make the perfect match. 🙂

Happy ISAD and keep them talking

Anita