Over the past month or so, I’ve been reacting to a publication that was sent to me by its author – a leader in the field of stuttering therapy for children. She was responding to my claim that parents and children are too often blamed for poor outcomes during therapy rather than the irrelevance and inappropriateness of the therapy itself. It seemed clear that the author had not taken the time to read my book before she responded – or I can’t imagine she would have sent me this article as it only seemed to justify my perception, which she claimed was “taken out of context.”
I did pose my comments and questions to the author prior to the more public discussion on my blog, hoping that I would be welcomed to the spirited debate. I waited two weeks for a response – but got silence which continues to this day. This was disappointing as I believe parents (especially those who don’t agree!) must be welcomed into this debate in order to do better by these children.
I’m always perplexed as to why I continually find respected voices that express concern, lack of evidence, and frustration over the therapy and it’s outcomes, and yet when I, as a parent and writer, repeat this message, those same voices go quiet.
Yes, I suppose you can say that I did take things “out of context” – away from the publications that exist primarily within the professional arena (peer-reviewed journals, textbooks, research reports) and into the context of real life and real children – for access by real parents and families. For that I do not apologize. Parents have the right to understand the lack of evidence, the opinions behind the spirited debate and the risks of silence and disengagement that go along with the openly reported dismal results of relapse.
My book, “Voice Unearthed: Hope, Help, and a Wake-Up Call for the Parents of Children Who Stutter” is now available in all e-book formats and online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Print versions can be ordered through Amazon and www.voiceunearthed.com. The beat goes on – let’s keep them talking!! Thanks for your ongoing support.
Best,
Doreen (Dori) Lenz Holte