The long term cost is lower by fighting. It also allows me to open the door to other families so they don’t need to fight so hard. I know the law and it pisses me off that school districts deny legally required services to kids. If it’s so hard for me, it would be impossible for someone who doesn’t have my background. Society benefits when help is given to our most vulnerable. I can fight so I will. Every single law that prevents tragedy was borne of tragedy. I want my kid to grow up strong, knowing he’s capable of changing the world. I need to model that and show him by doing it and by making a difference. His vulnerability can become a source of strength. I’ve been able to bring stuttering to the forefront, raise awareness and in the process hopefully make school a friendlier place for my son. I’ve been able to place posters around the school detailing what it means to be an ally. I take the anger this fight has generated and transform it into something bigger. It also allows me to look outward and let my son do his thing on his time frame and he is shielded from my emotional venting. The head smacking is a secondary behavior. I strongly suggest you seek help because these habits can become ingrained and it leads to people thinking there is something wrong with the kid and treating them differently. Therapy teaches how to relax so the sound can flow. Tension can make it harder and it can lead to that spiral. The socio-emotional effects of stuttering can be tough no matter how severe the stutter. A lot of people whose stutter can be masked end up going through their own personal hell trying to hide it. Imagine going through the day trying to avoid the letters “d” and “g”.