Blog
“It’s the Wild West Out There!”
This is my second blog posting in response to Stuttertalk Podcast #2 (episode 630) in a series of six podcasts asking the question “Should SLPs treat stuttering?”. Host Peter Reitzes interviews Rodney Gabel, a professor at the University of Toledo, speech-language...
Why does the house have to be on fire before anyone will listen?
I was finally able to make time to listen to the first of four (so far) StutterTalk podcasts where Peter Reitzes questions whether SLPS should even treat stuttering. The first episode, #629...
Is Stuttering Even Speech Related? A guest post by Matthew O’Malley
Is Stuttering Even Speech Related? Written by Matthew O’Malley Quote from the article: “Experiencing a speech block or a stutter is something the person who stutters feels detached from. It feels as though an element outside of their control is causing their speech...
Is There Really a Window for Children Who Stutter?
Is there really a “window of opportunity” for treating young children who stutter? We were told there was eighteen years ago. Many parents are still told that today. The window is supposedly widest when they’re around three, and slowly closes over the next few...
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
I am seeing more and more references to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as a promising approach for those who stutter. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) describes CBT as "a form of treatment that focuses on examining the relationships between thoughts,...
What Does This Even Mean?
Most discussions about the uncertainty and disagreement that exists in the field of treatment for children who stutter take place between professionals. Fortunately, with existing technology, parents can now access these conversations. I think it’s important to take...
Join us at the Voice Unearthed Facebook Page!
I've been away for awhile because I've been busy administering the Voice Unearthed Facebook page. I am overwhelmed with the response (210 members and counting) and the support that these parents and adults are to each other. The Voice Unearthed Facebook...
We must understand the “somethings” and “nothings” for children who stutter.
The National Stuttering Association’s recent campaign poster is unsettling to me. It states that “There are many ways to help children who stutter doing nothing is not one of them.” While I agree whole-heartedly, I fear that this will be interpreted by a worried...
Nothing New Under The Sun – Or Maybe There Is!
I was getting my hair cut the other day, and mentioned that I was on my way to talk to college students about stuttering. The hairdresser said, “oh, my 19-year-old son stutters.” I asked her if he had been through therapy and she said “yes,...