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Speech Therapist seeking input Hello! I am a speech therapist who really enjoys working with people who stutter, and I want your input on what has and hasn't been helpful for you. In grad school, my program had a big emphasis on stutter affirming therapy. My professor was very anti-fluency strategies, and insinuated that these NEVER have a place. Her opinion was that even teaching these as an option or tool is telling people who stutter that the way they speak is bad. I have since heard from other people who stutter who disagree and say they can accept their stutter, be confident, and still use fluency strategies from time to time. If anyone could answer the following questions for me so that I can use/create materials with people who stutters needs truly in mind, that would be so helpful! 1. Do you think fluency strategies are inherently harmful, or do they sometimes have a place? 2. If you only occassionally use fluency strategies, which situations do you choose to do so in? 3. Do you think it is helpful for speech therapists to teach fluency strategies as a choice tool, while always affirming that stuttering openly is okay too? (My professor would have said this is contradictory). 4. If you previously or currently went to speech therapy, what activities did you do that you found the most beneficial? What are things that your speech therapist did or said to build you up? 5. If you didn't do the following things in speech therapy, which of them sound interesting or potentially beneficial to you? a. Discussing/practicing self disclosing b. Voluntary stuttering c. General self advocacy (ex. How my teachers can help me in class, what I want my friends to know about me, etc). d. Creating a card that explains I am a person who stutters and need more time (ex. to give to a waiter) e. Learning more about what stuttering is/isn't f. Learning and practicing fluency strategies g. Listening to other people who stutter speak about their experiences h. Tell me any other ideas you have that would be helpful or NOT helpful in therapy please share! Anything you wish your SLP would've done for/with you? I know everyone has their own opinion on these things, I am just trying to get a general read on the overall perceptions of people who stutter. I know speech therapy has been a traumatic experience for some, and as a younger SLP (only 2 years in), I don't want to implement old practices just because that's the way things have historically been done. Your input is so valued and appreciated! Thanks :)