...Generating Fluent Speech
There are several speech therapies aimed at controlling or eliminating stuttering. These therapies vary from what kind of program fits the characteristic of the patient.
One of these therapies is called generating fluent speech. A comprehensive speech processing approach that aims to guide people who stutter to develop a speech processing similar with normal fluent speakers. Developed by Barbara Dahm, it is a therapeutic program for stuttering developed at Communication Therapy Institute in Israel. This has been developed from her several years of experience with people who stutter.
Established in 1987, Communication Therapy Institute is a private clinic specializing in the treatment of stuttering. Barbara Dahm, M.Ed is a speech pathologist who founded and currently heads CTI Communication Therapy Institute.
This program is based on the premised that stutterers use processes for the production speech different from the normal fluent speakers. Thus, the program includes steps in which stutterers relearn the speech production process. Exercises include learning to vibrate their vocal folds in an effortless manner, thus training them to monitor words and speech sounds.
The program’s exercises aid the stutterers to focus their attention away from the activity. This results to simplified language development process and as such becomes subconscious. Stutterers also learn an uncontrolled speech muscles and makes articulation an automatic process at a rapid rate. It also aimed at making the patients fully understand their speech production system so that they can self-correct their errors. After this program, patients are expected to be confident speakers whatever situations they may face.
The exercises are not intended to teach fluency but train the stutterers to detach from the result of the activity of speaking. Eventually, repetitive and religiously done activities will result to a proficient act of speaking. The goals of learning conscious effort, artificial monitoring speech, and subconscious controls will make stutterers speak effortlessly.
The therapy program is divided into two stages. Children from age 10 and adults will undergo approximately 90 hours of intensive therapy for stage 1. Stage 2 will consist of six months self-help therapy. However, during these times, clinicians will be available depending on the patient’s needs.
Children below age 10 have a different set of stages. Stage 1 comprises a regular scheduled individual therapy sessions until the patient is able to produce speech easily and correctly in conversation and oral reading. Stage 2 consists of shorter and less frequent therapy sessions with self-help and family assisted home therapy.
Results have shown that people learn the process within the three-week period of the first stage. Some patients also testified that through this program, they were able to understand their difficulty in speaking. The program aided them for making self-improvements in their ability to speak fluently.
The research study showed that Generating Fluent Speech is an effective therapeutic program. The results showed that patients developed a stronger sense of self-confidence and relaxing body mechanisms when speaking.
Recently, the findings of latest researches indicated that Generating Fluent Speech is most utilized therapeutic approach in treating several stuttering cases.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Treatments for Stuttering in Children
Worried about your child who seem not to outgrow his or her stuttering? Also called stammering, this speech condition have symptoms that include repetition of a word, syllable, or sound while speaking. It also involves trouble starting to speak a word, phrase or sentence. Other symptoms of stuttering include trembling of the jaw or lips, quick and repetitive blinking of the eyes, and tightness or tension of the face and upper part of the body. If your son or daughter suffers from these symptoms, it may be a sign that your kid has failed to outgrow that speech difficulty.
When should you bring your child to a specialist? For children between two to five years old, it is normal for them to stutter as they develop their speaking abilities. That will go away on its own. But if the stammering lasts beyond six months and occurs often with the symptoms mentioned above, then your child needs medical attention. If left untreated, stammering in children may lead to worse symptoms such as emotional problems, avoiding situations when the child has to speak, and poor performance in school.
It is advised that a child with speech problem be checked by a speech pathologist, a medical practitioner trained to diagnose and treat people suffering from speech, language, and voice disorders. During diagnosis, the speech pathologist will ask you about the history of the speech condition, particularly when it started and under what situations. After asking other relevant questions, the speech pathologist will perform a full assessment of the speech and language abilities of your child.
Various treatment methods are available for children with speech difficulty. These treatments only alleviate the condition to reduce stammering—no cure has been invented yet. Therapy can help a lot in keeping developmental stammering from getting in the way of a child’s normal day-to-day life.
Stammering in children is usually treated through informing parents on the best ways to adjust or control their children’s speaking environment. That way, the episodes of stammering will be minimized.
The following are several suggestions for parents like you who are finding ways to treat your child’s speech condition:
• Discuss openly with your child the condition when he or she asks you about it.
• Avoid encouraging or forcing your child to speak to other people.
• Make sure that you maintain a relaxed environment in your home to give your child enough chance to speak. It would be a lot helpful if you let your child speak without any distraction coming from you or other people at home.
• Be relaxed whenever you speak and do it slowly. That way, your child will learn to imitate the correct way to speak minus the stammering.
• Listen to your child attentively whenever he or she talks to you. Be patient—wait for your kid to complete the words. Avoid completing your child’s thoughts for himself or herself.
• Avoid punishing your child or reacting harshly because of his or her speech disfluency.
A cure for stuttering does not exist. However, as a parent, you can do some ways to help your child improve his or her fluency when speaking.
When should you bring your child to a specialist? For children between two to five years old, it is normal for them to stutter as they develop their speaking abilities. That will go away on its own. But if the stammering lasts beyond six months and occurs often with the symptoms mentioned above, then your child needs medical attention. If left untreated, stammering in children may lead to worse symptoms such as emotional problems, avoiding situations when the child has to speak, and poor performance in school.
It is advised that a child with speech problem be checked by a speech pathologist, a medical practitioner trained to diagnose and treat people suffering from speech, language, and voice disorders. During diagnosis, the speech pathologist will ask you about the history of the speech condition, particularly when it started and under what situations. After asking other relevant questions, the speech pathologist will perform a full assessment of the speech and language abilities of your child.
Various treatment methods are available for children with speech difficulty. These treatments only alleviate the condition to reduce stammering—no cure has been invented yet. Therapy can help a lot in keeping developmental stammering from getting in the way of a child’s normal day-to-day life.
Stammering in children is usually treated through informing parents on the best ways to adjust or control their children’s speaking environment. That way, the episodes of stammering will be minimized.
The following are several suggestions for parents like you who are finding ways to treat your child’s speech condition:
• Discuss openly with your child the condition when he or she asks you about it.
• Avoid encouraging or forcing your child to speak to other people.
• Make sure that you maintain a relaxed environment in your home to give your child enough chance to speak. It would be a lot helpful if you let your child speak without any distraction coming from you or other people at home.
• Be relaxed whenever you speak and do it slowly. That way, your child will learn to imitate the correct way to speak minus the stammering.
• Listen to your child attentively whenever he or she talks to you. Be patient—wait for your kid to complete the words. Avoid completing your child’s thoughts for himself or herself.
• Avoid punishing your child or reacting harshly because of his or her speech disfluency.
A cure for stuttering does not exist. However, as a parent, you can do some ways to help your child improve his or her fluency when speaking.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Vital Notes about Different Aspects of Stuttering
Stuttering is considered as a kind of speech disorder that manifests through a person’s hesitation to continue what they are saying, repetition of syllables or whole words and phrases and prolongation of sounds while they are speaking. This is usually experienced by children from ages two to five because this is the stage when they are only learning to form sounds, words and complete sentences.
There are some people who suffer from this due to genetic factors, but there are no proven studies to claim this point. Other people suffer from this speech disorder as a result of neurological events like traumatic brain injuries and stroke. The case is sometimes considered a psychological problem. It can get worse when the stutterer is faced with many stress factors or they are dealing with anxiety and nervousness. There are cases when people can sing without any hints that they have the condition and you will only notice such once they begin speaking in a conversational manner.
Symptoms
The known symptoms of this condition include extended pauses while delivering your message, creating long sounds in between words, repetition of words or certain parts of the words. If you have this case, you may also find it hard or feel hesitant in starting your phrases. There are also physical manifestations like too much blinking of the eyes, jaw jerking and involuntary movements of certain body parts without intending to do such.
Treatment
If the condition is only mild, you must learn how to handle it on your own. It will help if you are going to find out what’s causing the problem. What makes you feel nervous when you are talking with other people? Why can’t you speak to a large crowd or why can’t you look directly to the eyes of the person you are talking to?
After you have accepted that there really is a problem and that you can’t handle it on your own, you can go to a professional speech language pathologist to help you in this case. They can recommend you good medications to help you at the start. This must be backed up with therapy sessions and you should also initiate to practice facing your fears as you progress through the process.
If you are dealing with a child who has this problem, you have to guide them by giving them time to finish what they have to say. Allow them to talk in a slow manner and do not interrupt that much as they try to convey their message.
Both adults and children should also try doing regular breathing exercises. It will also help if you are going to practice singing your thoughts. While you are still in the process of finding a cure, you must avoid situations where you will feel very stressed out because this will only aggravate your condition.
Studies are still being conducted to find the right and the best cures for stuttering. Even if this is the case, this must not stop you from researching and applying good tips on what you can do to overcome the condition or help someone who is suffering from this.
There are some people who suffer from this due to genetic factors, but there are no proven studies to claim this point. Other people suffer from this speech disorder as a result of neurological events like traumatic brain injuries and stroke. The case is sometimes considered a psychological problem. It can get worse when the stutterer is faced with many stress factors or they are dealing with anxiety and nervousness. There are cases when people can sing without any hints that they have the condition and you will only notice such once they begin speaking in a conversational manner.
Symptoms
The known symptoms of this condition include extended pauses while delivering your message, creating long sounds in between words, repetition of words or certain parts of the words. If you have this case, you may also find it hard or feel hesitant in starting your phrases. There are also physical manifestations like too much blinking of the eyes, jaw jerking and involuntary movements of certain body parts without intending to do such.
Treatment
If the condition is only mild, you must learn how to handle it on your own. It will help if you are going to find out what’s causing the problem. What makes you feel nervous when you are talking with other people? Why can’t you speak to a large crowd or why can’t you look directly to the eyes of the person you are talking to?
After you have accepted that there really is a problem and that you can’t handle it on your own, you can go to a professional speech language pathologist to help you in this case. They can recommend you good medications to help you at the start. This must be backed up with therapy sessions and you should also initiate to practice facing your fears as you progress through the process.
If you are dealing with a child who has this problem, you have to guide them by giving them time to finish what they have to say. Allow them to talk in a slow manner and do not interrupt that much as they try to convey their message.
Both adults and children should also try doing regular breathing exercises. It will also help if you are going to practice singing your thoughts. While you are still in the process of finding a cure, you must avoid situations where you will feel very stressed out because this will only aggravate your condition.
Studies are still being conducted to find the right and the best cures for stuttering. Even if this is the case, this must not stop you from researching and applying good tips on what you can do to overcome the condition or help someone who is suffering from this.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Relaxation Technique in Treating Stuttering
...The F. M. Alexander Technique
Along with varied therapies and programs designed to treat stuttering, one method is based on the premise of developing and controlling self-awareness, movement, balance, support and coordination. This is called the F.M. Alexander Technique.
The F.M. Alexander Technique is a psychological approach used in treating stuttering. Worth noting is that it is not a treatment specific to stuttering or to any disorder. It is a method of improving ease and freedom of movement. It teaches to use the appropriate amount of effort exerted in certain activities. However, the F.M. Alexander Technique is not or limited to a series of exercises; it is a reeducation of the mind and body.
It was named after its developer F. Matthias Alexander, who initially developed it as a technique for vocal training for singers and actors in the late nineteenth century. While developing this system and with varied experiments, F.M Alexander realized the importance of naturally functioning respiratory mechanism in a well-functioning physical body.
He introduced a technique, which he called the reeducation of breathing mechanism. Hence, many medical doctors eventually recognized such innovative perspective during those times. F. M. Alexander also discovered that breathing and vocalization are essential component of how body functions well. Take for example the habitual breathing and vocal patterns. Both are crucial aspects of habitual patterns of general bodily coordination. Coordination includes posture, breathing, movement, and tension patterns.
As such, he eventually developed a method that teaches patients to change consciously their maladaptive habits of coordination. F. M. Alexander found out that habits are generally psychophysical in nature, be that physical or mental habits. This is because he realized that the mind and body function are integrated entity rather than working individually.
In addition, he observed that one’s perspective towards his activities determines how he coordinates himself to those activities. At the same time, long-practiced habits of too much tension and inefficient coordination affect vocal training. The method of breathing reeducation and then a comprehensive technique of psychophysical reeducation help solve the difficulties.
Thus, the F. M. Alexander Technique aids stutterers to develop more awareness and control in their activities. This came from the premise that the difficulties people experience in many levels such as learning, control of performance, and physical functioning are caused by unconscious habits. As such, these unconscious habits interfere with the natural poise and the capacity to learn. Therefore, the technique teaches a person to eliminate such interference in the innate coordination of the body creating greater self-confidence and presence of mind.
Therefore, finding out about vocal technique and breathing problems, many of his students developed therapeutic mechanisms in solving various problems including stuttering. They followed his premise on breathing mechanisms and respiratory technique.
However, one should keep in mind that the F. M. Alexander Technique does not treat a passive patient. Positive results will yield from conscious eliminating of harmful habits that cause physical and emotional stress. Both American educational philosopher John Dewey and Nobel-prize-winning scientist Nikolaas Tinbergen recognized such technique as an effective aid in improving physical and psychological well-being. Thus, it is now used as a combination therapy in treating stuttering.
Along with varied therapies and programs designed to treat stuttering, one method is based on the premise of developing and controlling self-awareness, movement, balance, support and coordination. This is called the F.M. Alexander Technique.
The F.M. Alexander Technique is a psychological approach used in treating stuttering. Worth noting is that it is not a treatment specific to stuttering or to any disorder. It is a method of improving ease and freedom of movement. It teaches to use the appropriate amount of effort exerted in certain activities. However, the F.M. Alexander Technique is not or limited to a series of exercises; it is a reeducation of the mind and body.
It was named after its developer F. Matthias Alexander, who initially developed it as a technique for vocal training for singers and actors in the late nineteenth century. While developing this system and with varied experiments, F.M Alexander realized the importance of naturally functioning respiratory mechanism in a well-functioning physical body.
He introduced a technique, which he called the reeducation of breathing mechanism. Hence, many medical doctors eventually recognized such innovative perspective during those times. F. M. Alexander also discovered that breathing and vocalization are essential component of how body functions well. Take for example the habitual breathing and vocal patterns. Both are crucial aspects of habitual patterns of general bodily coordination. Coordination includes posture, breathing, movement, and tension patterns.
As such, he eventually developed a method that teaches patients to change consciously their maladaptive habits of coordination. F. M. Alexander found out that habits are generally psychophysical in nature, be that physical or mental habits. This is because he realized that the mind and body function are integrated entity rather than working individually.
In addition, he observed that one’s perspective towards his activities determines how he coordinates himself to those activities. At the same time, long-practiced habits of too much tension and inefficient coordination affect vocal training. The method of breathing reeducation and then a comprehensive technique of psychophysical reeducation help solve the difficulties.
Thus, the F. M. Alexander Technique aids stutterers to develop more awareness and control in their activities. This came from the premise that the difficulties people experience in many levels such as learning, control of performance, and physical functioning are caused by unconscious habits. As such, these unconscious habits interfere with the natural poise and the capacity to learn. Therefore, the technique teaches a person to eliminate such interference in the innate coordination of the body creating greater self-confidence and presence of mind.
Therefore, finding out about vocal technique and breathing problems, many of his students developed therapeutic mechanisms in solving various problems including stuttering. They followed his premise on breathing mechanisms and respiratory technique.
However, one should keep in mind that the F. M. Alexander Technique does not treat a passive patient. Positive results will yield from conscious eliminating of harmful habits that cause physical and emotional stress. Both American educational philosopher John Dewey and Nobel-prize-winning scientist Nikolaas Tinbergen recognized such technique as an effective aid in improving physical and psychological well-being. Thus, it is now used as a combination therapy in treating stuttering.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Easy to Follow Tips to Get Rid of Stuttering
Before you hide yourself from the world because you are finding it hard to connect with other people, you must look at the case and help yourself overcome the problem. This is the usual dilemma of adults who have stuttering problems. They fear that others might laugh at them and won’t mind what they are saying, so they choose to back out and lessen their exposure with lots of people. If you can relate with the situation, you must bear in mind that nothing can be achieved if you won’t do anything about it or if you will run away from it all. You must first try to help yourself and seek a professional’s help if the case is already becoming a heavy burden.
You can start with these simple routines and exercises if you think that the condition is still manageable. Make sure that you act on the problem as soon as you recognize that there really is a problem before it gets out of hand.
1. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. If you are already having problems in conveying your thoughts to other people, it won’t help if you will simply stop talking to them. You need to challenge yourself that you can surpass this and no matter how you fumble at first, you should continue telling people what you want to say.
2. Get out of your comfort zone every once in a while. It is expected that with this condition, you will try to limit your circle to friends, relatives and family members who will not laugh at the manner you speak. But to be able to evolve and succeed in life, you need to learn how to socialize and represent yourself even to people whom you do not know.
3. You have to be comfortable in verbalizing your thoughts to other people. While you are at this stage, you must not feel very pressured to speak in a fluent manner. It doesn’t matter at this point if you are fluent or not. What matters more is how you feel why you are speaking with others. As you try to find your voice and as you begin getting rid of initial nervousness, you will eventually learn to speak in more fluent terms.
4. Another good way to build up your confidence while speaking with other people is by looking them in the eyes. You will feel the connection by maintaining eye contact, and this is also a good exercise to complete your thoughts and ideas.
5. You are already under pressure as it is while you are trying to help yourself get rid of the condition. You must not add any more stress contributors by expecting that you will overcome the problem after some days or even a week or so. This will take time, lots of practice and hard work. You must be determined to finish the task and achieve your goal in the long run.
You must never let stuttering overshadow who you really are. You must find ways to beat it by doing the recommended tricks to help you get past this stage.
You can start with these simple routines and exercises if you think that the condition is still manageable. Make sure that you act on the problem as soon as you recognize that there really is a problem before it gets out of hand.
1. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. If you are already having problems in conveying your thoughts to other people, it won’t help if you will simply stop talking to them. You need to challenge yourself that you can surpass this and no matter how you fumble at first, you should continue telling people what you want to say.
2. Get out of your comfort zone every once in a while. It is expected that with this condition, you will try to limit your circle to friends, relatives and family members who will not laugh at the manner you speak. But to be able to evolve and succeed in life, you need to learn how to socialize and represent yourself even to people whom you do not know.
3. You have to be comfortable in verbalizing your thoughts to other people. While you are at this stage, you must not feel very pressured to speak in a fluent manner. It doesn’t matter at this point if you are fluent or not. What matters more is how you feel why you are speaking with others. As you try to find your voice and as you begin getting rid of initial nervousness, you will eventually learn to speak in more fluent terms.
4. Another good way to build up your confidence while speaking with other people is by looking them in the eyes. You will feel the connection by maintaining eye contact, and this is also a good exercise to complete your thoughts and ideas.
5. You are already under pressure as it is while you are trying to help yourself get rid of the condition. You must not add any more stress contributors by expecting that you will overcome the problem after some days or even a week or so. This will take time, lots of practice and hard work. You must be determined to finish the task and achieve your goal in the long run.
You must never let stuttering overshadow who you really are. You must find ways to beat it by doing the recommended tricks to help you get past this stage.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Basic Guide about Stuttering for Parents
For parents who are worried about their children who are stuttering, you just have to bear in mind that this is only a phase that they are going through. It may alleviate your feelings to know that about 5% of children in preschool stutter. This phase is referred to as pseudostuttering or developmental dysfluency, which they will eventually outgrow. This may arise from various reasons, the most common of which is the fact that at this point, they are eagerly learning how to talk.
You don’t need to worry because this is only normal, but if the case is already causing problems, like the child feels intimidated in talking to other people or they are exhibiting such for more than six months already, this is the time when you can seek doctor’s help. Out of all cases, only 1% of these children will continue to carry this kind of problem until they get older.
Symptoms
The speech of people with this condition gets interrupted when they make certain sounds longer or repeat syllables, parts or the whole words. It is said that it is more common for boys to acquire such case. This is one kind of a neurological disorder and can be acquired through genetic reasons. If the person has been suffering from this case for more than six months, they must undergo thorough evaluation to be performed by a professional speech language pathologist. You can also consult such even if the patient is a preschooler, but if the condition is not bothering them, you can wait if they will be able to outgrow this.
Available Therapy Techniques
Even if there is not one single cure that has been invented for this condition, there are various treatments that a patient can opt to alleviate the speech pattern defects. These treatments include the following. Once you have consulted a professional, they can give you the appropriate kind based on their findings. For one, they can recommend that your child take medications, although these are not commonly used. They can also be advised to go through a speech therapy, which can be done at summer clinics or at intensive clinics.
There are some electronic devices that are available these days, which focus on the choral effect and technique of choral speech. With these, the words of the one who stutters are being matched with another voice. There are also devices that are placed in the ear of the child. This tool can replay the words of the child after a brief delay. It is able to copy the choral effect, while decreasing and can completely eliminate the speech defect. Even if these therapies will work at the beginning, the results and improvements won’t be permanent.
There are other basic things that you ought to know about this condition to understand the concept better. Stuttering doesn’t occur as a result of emotional and psychological dilemma. You have to help your child cope with the condition by not interfering with what they are saying. You must allow them to finish what they are saying and make them feel that they are not being rushed into anything.
You don’t need to worry because this is only normal, but if the case is already causing problems, like the child feels intimidated in talking to other people or they are exhibiting such for more than six months already, this is the time when you can seek doctor’s help. Out of all cases, only 1% of these children will continue to carry this kind of problem until they get older.
Symptoms
The speech of people with this condition gets interrupted when they make certain sounds longer or repeat syllables, parts or the whole words. It is said that it is more common for boys to acquire such case. This is one kind of a neurological disorder and can be acquired through genetic reasons. If the person has been suffering from this case for more than six months, they must undergo thorough evaluation to be performed by a professional speech language pathologist. You can also consult such even if the patient is a preschooler, but if the condition is not bothering them, you can wait if they will be able to outgrow this.
Available Therapy Techniques
Even if there is not one single cure that has been invented for this condition, there are various treatments that a patient can opt to alleviate the speech pattern defects. These treatments include the following. Once you have consulted a professional, they can give you the appropriate kind based on their findings. For one, they can recommend that your child take medications, although these are not commonly used. They can also be advised to go through a speech therapy, which can be done at summer clinics or at intensive clinics.
There are some electronic devices that are available these days, which focus on the choral effect and technique of choral speech. With these, the words of the one who stutters are being matched with another voice. There are also devices that are placed in the ear of the child. This tool can replay the words of the child after a brief delay. It is able to copy the choral effect, while decreasing and can completely eliminate the speech defect. Even if these therapies will work at the beginning, the results and improvements won’t be permanent.
There are other basic things that you ought to know about this condition to understand the concept better. Stuttering doesn’t occur as a result of emotional and psychological dilemma. You have to help your child cope with the condition by not interfering with what they are saying. You must allow them to finish what they are saying and make them feel that they are not being rushed into anything.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The Step-By-Step Process of Mind-Body-Spirit Technique to Heal Struttering
Many clinicians now treat people who stutter using the mind-body-spirit medical philosophy, a model that was being practiced at least three thousand years ago.
Not only the principles and practices of this model are used to treat people who stutter. Such technique also showed effective results with terminally ill cancer patients and catastrophically ill children. Doctors employ visualization, guided imagery, and psychotherapy.
The mind-body-spirit medical philosophy is also known as “alternative medicine” or “holistic medicine” because clinicians look into the totality of the person including his mind and body to understand the dynamics that may induce or cause the illness and not just the symptoms.
The underpinning principle for such technique is that human organisms naturally yearn for balance and wellness in mind, body, and spirit. Such balance and wellness enables the body to function normally without much effort.
Therefore, recently, speech pathologist Carl H. Scott proposed a PWS in treating people who stutter. His model is based mainly from the mind-body-spirit medical philosophy. The technique does not only treat stuttering symptoms but also work the person toward balanced mind, body, and spirit.
Patients should take note of the adverse attitudes that would lead to unsuccessful treatment. The program is designed to encourage patients to develop their own inner guidance and therefore trust the technique. The technique makes patients self-reliant with a continuing source of information and inspiration to realize their goals.
The fundamental principle of this process is the commitment and intimate communication of patients with their higher selves. One clinician defines it as “invisible life force.”
A variety of therapeutic techniques is provided through the healing process. Examples of these are regression, gestalt therapy, psychosynthesis, applied kinesiology, EMDR, focusing, visualization, guided imagery, hypnosis, and neurolinguistic programming (NLP).
The first stage is to guide the patients to identify attitudes, feelings, thoughts, beliefs, and behaviour that might lead to unsuccessful healing. On this stage, clinicians are often listeners and absorbers of their patients’ seethes before the latter will be willing to throw their old belief system and accept a new perspective.
The second stage of the therapeutic sessions is to begin a healing process. Sometimes, this stage involves an inner child work. Other sessions might include dialoguing or forgiveness. The sessions are designed to dispel negative feelings and thoughts that has been stored over the years. This is because negative energies pose threat to therapeutic progress.
The next stage is designed to create a healthy belief system through indoctrination of new and positive thoughts and feelings. The sessions aim to develop a self-acceptance and love in the patients. The fundamental emphasis on this technique is to embed in patients’ belief system that everyone has freedom to think, feel, and behave.
This stage is focused on embedding new beliefs, thoughts, feelings, attitude, and behaviour on an internal level. Such goal is often attained through the use of guided imagery, visualization, and actively living the life outside the therapy environment.
This systematic process of mind-body-spirit model makes a person achieve fluency and eliminating his stuttering.
Not only the principles and practices of this model are used to treat people who stutter. Such technique also showed effective results with terminally ill cancer patients and catastrophically ill children. Doctors employ visualization, guided imagery, and psychotherapy.
The mind-body-spirit medical philosophy is also known as “alternative medicine” or “holistic medicine” because clinicians look into the totality of the person including his mind and body to understand the dynamics that may induce or cause the illness and not just the symptoms.
The underpinning principle for such technique is that human organisms naturally yearn for balance and wellness in mind, body, and spirit. Such balance and wellness enables the body to function normally without much effort.
Therefore, recently, speech pathologist Carl H. Scott proposed a PWS in treating people who stutter. His model is based mainly from the mind-body-spirit medical philosophy. The technique does not only treat stuttering symptoms but also work the person toward balanced mind, body, and spirit.
Patients should take note of the adverse attitudes that would lead to unsuccessful treatment. The program is designed to encourage patients to develop their own inner guidance and therefore trust the technique. The technique makes patients self-reliant with a continuing source of information and inspiration to realize their goals.
The fundamental principle of this process is the commitment and intimate communication of patients with their higher selves. One clinician defines it as “invisible life force.”
A variety of therapeutic techniques is provided through the healing process. Examples of these are regression, gestalt therapy, psychosynthesis, applied kinesiology, EMDR, focusing, visualization, guided imagery, hypnosis, and neurolinguistic programming (NLP).
The first stage is to guide the patients to identify attitudes, feelings, thoughts, beliefs, and behaviour that might lead to unsuccessful healing. On this stage, clinicians are often listeners and absorbers of their patients’ seethes before the latter will be willing to throw their old belief system and accept a new perspective.
The second stage of the therapeutic sessions is to begin a healing process. Sometimes, this stage involves an inner child work. Other sessions might include dialoguing or forgiveness. The sessions are designed to dispel negative feelings and thoughts that has been stored over the years. This is because negative energies pose threat to therapeutic progress.
The next stage is designed to create a healthy belief system through indoctrination of new and positive thoughts and feelings. The sessions aim to develop a self-acceptance and love in the patients. The fundamental emphasis on this technique is to embed in patients’ belief system that everyone has freedom to think, feel, and behave.
This stage is focused on embedding new beliefs, thoughts, feelings, attitude, and behaviour on an internal level. Such goal is often attained through the use of guided imagery, visualization, and actively living the life outside the therapy environment.
This systematic process of mind-body-spirit model makes a person achieve fluency and eliminating his stuttering.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Stuttering Modification Process
It is an intensive interval therapy program for people who stutter. First conducted in 1987 Germany, this therapy program was named after Van Riper from whom it took several of its basic underlying principles of treatment.
It is called the Van Riper Program as Intensive Interval Therapy. It is called interval because of its block schedule system—a five-day duration of segments with six to eight weeks between the segments. It is called intensive because of its long period of session during segments—about eight hours a day.
The basic principles of this program involve the preference and utilization of stuttering modification approach over a fluency shaping approach. It also considers motivation and relapse as major difficulties in many adult stuttering therapies. In addition, it believes that therapist plays a lesser role in most adult stuttering therapies.
The Van Riper Program is done in a group—about 12 patients with two therapists. This is often conducted in a church-run boarding house. In Germany, the therapists include Andreas Starke, together with Angelika Engert and Bernd Koppenhagen.
There are five weeks overall in the process. The first week focuses on identification. The two major goals in this initial week are improving the understanding of each patient’s stuttering and making patients understand the basic concepts of speech production. This segment involves a video recording of each patient and recorded ten-minute conversational speech and five-minute reading. This is followed by lectures on speech production and analysis of the video recordings.
The second week focuses on desensitization. The major goal of this segment is to desensitize patients to the expectation and experience of stuttering. This phase include exercises in maintaining eye contact, analyzing reactions to stuttering, and regaining control in stuttering event. In this phase, patients are expected to make modifications in their reactions to stuttering such as avoiding, interjections, and postponing.
The next week uses the cancellation procedure from Van Riper’s technique with introduction and practice processes. This stage teaches patients with slow motion speech with attention given to precise prolongation of natural speed production and the use of pauses. Records have shown that frequency of stuttering have substantial reduction in most patients.
Aside from introduction and practice, the fourth week now employs the pull-outs devised by Van Riper. This is simpler than the process in the previous stage. Patients are trained to gain control of the stuttering event, thus completing the word through slow movement. Most patients rarely have difficulty achieving this process. Often than not, they find such process pleasurable.
In addition, the fourth week involves less outdoor activities and telephone sessions. However, for ensuring their fluency, a 15 to 20 minute public speech is done as an exercise.
Lastly, the final week involves no exercise anymore. It is more of reviewing the sequence of therapy and instructs the patients to work their way backwards. In addition, the therapists further explain the sources of relapse and discuss specific characteristics of a life of a person who stutter.
In a recent survey, this stuttering modification process has been successful so far in many patients.
It is called the Van Riper Program as Intensive Interval Therapy. It is called interval because of its block schedule system—a five-day duration of segments with six to eight weeks between the segments. It is called intensive because of its long period of session during segments—about eight hours a day.
The basic principles of this program involve the preference and utilization of stuttering modification approach over a fluency shaping approach. It also considers motivation and relapse as major difficulties in many adult stuttering therapies. In addition, it believes that therapist plays a lesser role in most adult stuttering therapies.
The Van Riper Program is done in a group—about 12 patients with two therapists. This is often conducted in a church-run boarding house. In Germany, the therapists include Andreas Starke, together with Angelika Engert and Bernd Koppenhagen.
There are five weeks overall in the process. The first week focuses on identification. The two major goals in this initial week are improving the understanding of each patient’s stuttering and making patients understand the basic concepts of speech production. This segment involves a video recording of each patient and recorded ten-minute conversational speech and five-minute reading. This is followed by lectures on speech production and analysis of the video recordings.
The second week focuses on desensitization. The major goal of this segment is to desensitize patients to the expectation and experience of stuttering. This phase include exercises in maintaining eye contact, analyzing reactions to stuttering, and regaining control in stuttering event. In this phase, patients are expected to make modifications in their reactions to stuttering such as avoiding, interjections, and postponing.
The next week uses the cancellation procedure from Van Riper’s technique with introduction and practice processes. This stage teaches patients with slow motion speech with attention given to precise prolongation of natural speed production and the use of pauses. Records have shown that frequency of stuttering have substantial reduction in most patients.
Aside from introduction and practice, the fourth week now employs the pull-outs devised by Van Riper. This is simpler than the process in the previous stage. Patients are trained to gain control of the stuttering event, thus completing the word through slow movement. Most patients rarely have difficulty achieving this process. Often than not, they find such process pleasurable.
In addition, the fourth week involves less outdoor activities and telephone sessions. However, for ensuring their fluency, a 15 to 20 minute public speech is done as an exercise.
Lastly, the final week involves no exercise anymore. It is more of reviewing the sequence of therapy and instructs the patients to work their way backwards. In addition, the therapists further explain the sources of relapse and discuss specific characteristics of a life of a person who stutter.
In a recent survey, this stuttering modification process has been successful so far in many patients.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
How Yoga Can Help Control Stuttering
Everybody knows the various health benefits of yoga. This healing system, which originated in India, is well known for its principle of ensuring the harmony of the mind and the body. This leads to yoga being an effective cure for a wide variety of ailments and health problems. However, not many people know that yoga is beneficial as well for seemingly minor bodily conditions such as stuttering and other speech disorders.
At some points in their lives, children and adults experience speech difficulties such as getting stuck on their words. While it seems it is just normal to stutter, this could pose a problem in a person’s day-to-day interaction with other people. If you stumble every time you speak, it would be very hard for you to get your message across. Worse, it can affect your self-esteem and performance in various social situations.
According to Yoga principles, stress has a lot to do with most speech problems. People start to stutter when they become overly stressed. Anxiety is another factor that causes people to stutter. When you are very nervous before you start speaking, your vocal cords become tensed. And when you begin to talk, you will naturally stutter.
Yoga experts believe that the only way to stop people from stuttering is through relaxation. This is where yoga and meditation come into play. Yoga trains people how to relax so that they can speak with much ease. Simple yoga postures and Pranayama, in particular, aid in managing stress and the stammering. When paired with speech therapy (under the supervision of a trained speech therapist), yoga and meditation can effectively reduce the frequency of stammering in people and improve their speech abilities.
People tend to stutter if they breathe incorrectly before and while speaking. The proper way to do it is to breathe in deeply before you start to say something and then breathe out while you are talking. Yoga can help you address breathing problems through Pranayama, which is a system that corrects breathing patterns. Pranayama uses the optimum capacity of your lungs so that you can cope with breathing and speech difficulties.
Are you interested in practicing yoga to control your tendency to stutter? The first things you must focus on are recognizing and accepting your speech problem. Then think about all your talents and positive attributes. In doing so, you will have a better perception of yourself. You will be less self-conscious as a result. This positive thinking will greatly help you deal with stress that causes your stammering.
The next step is to practice the following Yoga postures and breathing techniques to make you feel more relaxed:
• Surya Namaskar (sun salutation)
• Progressive relaxation techniques and meditation
• Suksham Vyayama (a relaxing breathing exercise)
• Concentrating on breathing to make it easier for you to deal with stressful thoughts
• Positive attitude for better self-esteem and self-image
• Bhastrika and Nadi Shodhana that help solve breathing problems
• Simhasana (lion pose)
Without a doubt, yoga is an effective way to heal stuttering. It is advised that you practice yoga with the help of a trained yoga therapist to train you about proper relaxation and breathing techniques.
At some points in their lives, children and adults experience speech difficulties such as getting stuck on their words. While it seems it is just normal to stutter, this could pose a problem in a person’s day-to-day interaction with other people. If you stumble every time you speak, it would be very hard for you to get your message across. Worse, it can affect your self-esteem and performance in various social situations.
According to Yoga principles, stress has a lot to do with most speech problems. People start to stutter when they become overly stressed. Anxiety is another factor that causes people to stutter. When you are very nervous before you start speaking, your vocal cords become tensed. And when you begin to talk, you will naturally stutter.
Yoga experts believe that the only way to stop people from stuttering is through relaxation. This is where yoga and meditation come into play. Yoga trains people how to relax so that they can speak with much ease. Simple yoga postures and Pranayama, in particular, aid in managing stress and the stammering. When paired with speech therapy (under the supervision of a trained speech therapist), yoga and meditation can effectively reduce the frequency of stammering in people and improve their speech abilities.
People tend to stutter if they breathe incorrectly before and while speaking. The proper way to do it is to breathe in deeply before you start to say something and then breathe out while you are talking. Yoga can help you address breathing problems through Pranayama, which is a system that corrects breathing patterns. Pranayama uses the optimum capacity of your lungs so that you can cope with breathing and speech difficulties.
Are you interested in practicing yoga to control your tendency to stutter? The first things you must focus on are recognizing and accepting your speech problem. Then think about all your talents and positive attributes. In doing so, you will have a better perception of yourself. You will be less self-conscious as a result. This positive thinking will greatly help you deal with stress that causes your stammering.
The next step is to practice the following Yoga postures and breathing techniques to make you feel more relaxed:
• Surya Namaskar (sun salutation)
• Progressive relaxation techniques and meditation
• Suksham Vyayama (a relaxing breathing exercise)
• Concentrating on breathing to make it easier for you to deal with stressful thoughts
• Positive attitude for better self-esteem and self-image
• Bhastrika and Nadi Shodhana that help solve breathing problems
• Simhasana (lion pose)
Without a doubt, yoga is an effective way to heal stuttering. It is advised that you practice yoga with the help of a trained yoga therapist to train you about proper relaxation and breathing techniques.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Essential Ideas about Stuttering in Children
Every parent wants to catch the first words of their children. They are eagerly waiting for the time that their kids can finally talk and express what they want to say through words. It is only normal to feel a bit warned and problematic after learning that they are finding it hard to speak when they are already at the right age. Stuttering is common to younger ones like those in preschool. How would you know that the condition should already be referred to a professional?
If the kid is really young, you must give them enough time and allow them to keep up with their own pace on how fast or how slow they will be able to learn how to talk properly. The best thing that you can do to guide and help them at this point is by talking to them and helping your kids pronounce the words that they are finding hard to say. You must not hurry them to talk straight and right because it will eventually come. They must not feel any pressure whenever they want to say something. You should let them finish what they have to say without any interruptions. Through this, they will be able to practice how to construct their sentences and put words together to be able to verbalize what they want to let other people know.
If they are at the right age or even while they are young but the condition is already hindering their social growth, this is when you should start seeking help by getting them treated by the right professionals. In this case, you can get them checked by a professional speech language pathologist. If you don’t know anyone, you must try to research about similar cases because the results will give you good leads as to the right people that you can consult about the matter.
Normal Phase
This is a phase that everybody goes through as part of speech development. This situation is actually referred to as psuedostuttering or dysfluency, which is only normal and must not raise warning signals. The child is trying to imitate sounds and say the words that express how they feel. This is a new experience for them so it is only natural that they fumble with their words as they repeat syllables, they substitute the sounds of the words, they pause in the process of saying difficult words or they aren’t able to say what they want to.
The more pressure that you will put on them to finish fast with what they want to convey or to prompt them to say the right things, they will stutter all the more. This is because they will feel the pressure. They are already excited as it is with this new phase that they are beginning to learn. It won’t help if you will add any factors to stress them out all the more.
The best way to diagnose if your child’s stuttering is already causing them problems is to give them time and observe how they deal with it. If the condition is not causing them any troubles, then you should leave your worries behind for the meantime.
If the kid is really young, you must give them enough time and allow them to keep up with their own pace on how fast or how slow they will be able to learn how to talk properly. The best thing that you can do to guide and help them at this point is by talking to them and helping your kids pronounce the words that they are finding hard to say. You must not hurry them to talk straight and right because it will eventually come. They must not feel any pressure whenever they want to say something. You should let them finish what they have to say without any interruptions. Through this, they will be able to practice how to construct their sentences and put words together to be able to verbalize what they want to let other people know.
If they are at the right age or even while they are young but the condition is already hindering their social growth, this is when you should start seeking help by getting them treated by the right professionals. In this case, you can get them checked by a professional speech language pathologist. If you don’t know anyone, you must try to research about similar cases because the results will give you good leads as to the right people that you can consult about the matter.
Normal Phase
This is a phase that everybody goes through as part of speech development. This situation is actually referred to as psuedostuttering or dysfluency, which is only normal and must not raise warning signals. The child is trying to imitate sounds and say the words that express how they feel. This is a new experience for them so it is only natural that they fumble with their words as they repeat syllables, they substitute the sounds of the words, they pause in the process of saying difficult words or they aren’t able to say what they want to.
The more pressure that you will put on them to finish fast with what they want to convey or to prompt them to say the right things, they will stutter all the more. This is because they will feel the pressure. They are already excited as it is with this new phase that they are beginning to learn. It won’t help if you will add any factors to stress them out all the more.
The best way to diagnose if your child’s stuttering is already causing them problems is to give them time and observe how they deal with it. If the condition is not causing them any troubles, then you should leave your worries behind for the meantime.
Monday, March 7, 2011
What Causes Stuttering in People?
Researchers have a variety of speculations about why stuttering or stammering occurs in some people. However, the exact cause of this speech condition is still unknown today. What researchers are sure of is that there are factors that may influence a person’s inability to speak fluently.
Language Development
Developmental stammering is the most usual form of the condition. That means it affects young children at a stage when they are learning how to speak and form language. Children who are still in the process of developing their speech and language tend to stutter when they speak. It occurs when children rack up their brain for the right words to convey their message. This is a sign that their speech and language abilities are not yet developed enough to help them express clearly what they intend to say. If you are very concerned with your child’s constant stammering, don’t be. Your child will outgrow it within about four years.
Genetics
Most scientists believe that many forms of stammering have something to do with genetics. It is because of the tendency of the condition to run in families, supporting the claim that stammering may be inherited from one generation to another. However, the exact genetic mechanisms that cause stammering or genes that trigger the condition have yet to be found.
Neurogenic Disorder or Signal Problems
People may stutter because of difficulties in transmitting signals from the brain to the muscles and nerves that control speech. That happens when the speech muscles and nerves fail to function properly, which make it harder for the brain to coordinate with the various parts of the speech mechanism in the body. This stammering type is referred to in speech pathology terms as a neurogenic disorder. It usually occurs in children as well as adults who have brain injury or those who have suffered from stroke. In rare cases, lesions or structural flaws in the part of the brain that takes charge of a person’s motor speech trigger this neurogenic condition.
Psychogenic Disorder
Scientists explain that some forms of stammering originate from the brain’s activities such as reasoning and thought. This type of stammering is called psychogenic disorder. Compared to other forms of stammering discussed earlier, the psychogenic origin rarely affects people’s speech. It happens to people who have undergone extreme mental stress or trauma or those who have certain types of mental disorder.
However, experts believe that these emotional and mental problems lead to stuttering instead of causing the speech condition. For example, people who usually stammer may have to endure several emotional troubles like speaking on the telephone or in public. Others dread meeting new people. In some cases, people stammer when they are intensely excited, enraged, scared, or shocked. Aside from these extreme emotions, fatigue, intense pressure, and self-consciousness may also increase a person’s tendency to stutter while speaking.
Interestingly, many people who usually stutter can speak fluently when they talk to themselves, speak with a few friends, or sing with a crowd or group. The reason for that is still unclear.
Language Development
Developmental stammering is the most usual form of the condition. That means it affects young children at a stage when they are learning how to speak and form language. Children who are still in the process of developing their speech and language tend to stutter when they speak. It occurs when children rack up their brain for the right words to convey their message. This is a sign that their speech and language abilities are not yet developed enough to help them express clearly what they intend to say. If you are very concerned with your child’s constant stammering, don’t be. Your child will outgrow it within about four years.
Genetics
Most scientists believe that many forms of stammering have something to do with genetics. It is because of the tendency of the condition to run in families, supporting the claim that stammering may be inherited from one generation to another. However, the exact genetic mechanisms that cause stammering or genes that trigger the condition have yet to be found.
Neurogenic Disorder or Signal Problems
People may stutter because of difficulties in transmitting signals from the brain to the muscles and nerves that control speech. That happens when the speech muscles and nerves fail to function properly, which make it harder for the brain to coordinate with the various parts of the speech mechanism in the body. This stammering type is referred to in speech pathology terms as a neurogenic disorder. It usually occurs in children as well as adults who have brain injury or those who have suffered from stroke. In rare cases, lesions or structural flaws in the part of the brain that takes charge of a person’s motor speech trigger this neurogenic condition.
Psychogenic Disorder
Scientists explain that some forms of stammering originate from the brain’s activities such as reasoning and thought. This type of stammering is called psychogenic disorder. Compared to other forms of stammering discussed earlier, the psychogenic origin rarely affects people’s speech. It happens to people who have undergone extreme mental stress or trauma or those who have certain types of mental disorder.
However, experts believe that these emotional and mental problems lead to stuttering instead of causing the speech condition. For example, people who usually stammer may have to endure several emotional troubles like speaking on the telephone or in public. Others dread meeting new people. In some cases, people stammer when they are intensely excited, enraged, scared, or shocked. Aside from these extreme emotions, fatigue, intense pressure, and self-consciousness may also increase a person’s tendency to stutter while speaking.
Interestingly, many people who usually stutter can speak fluently when they talk to themselves, speak with a few friends, or sing with a crowd or group. The reason for that is still unclear.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Types of Neuropharmacological Agents in Treating Stuttering
Because the cause of stuttering has never been clearly defined, the use of pharmacological agents has not been encouraged ever since. In addition, people who stutter experience different effects of drugs prescribed for treatment.
As such, there are different perspectives being taken in drug treatment for stuttering. From the etiological theories, experts view mainly the cause of stuttering as a psychological problem. It further explains that stuttering is a result of repressed needs or unconscious expression of internal conflicts.
Theories later see stuttering as a series of learned behaviours arising from psychological causes such as fear and anxiety. There are some theories that view stuttering as a genetic disorder. Scientific evidences later developed based on neurological motor and sensory deficits. These genetic abnormalities are combined with motor control deficits, learned behaviours, and psychological deficits as combined cause of stuttering.
Following these theories, still several pharmaceutical agents are invented to cure the disorder. Examples of agents based on these etiological theories are antipsychotics, neuroleptics, and sedatives and tranquilizers.
Antipsychotics include the use of carbon dioxide inhalation in 1948. This treatment would leave the stutterer unconscious for a moment and then followed by psychomotor excitement. Several psychological-related conditions such as phobias, hysteria, and disassociative states are treated with carbon dioxide. However, some experiments proved the ineffectiveness of carbon dioxide treatment in stuttering.
The neuroleptics are antipsychotic drugs that affect the psychomotor activity. Fortunately, they do not have hypnotic effects nor are sleep-inducing agents. Examples of neuroleptics used in treating stuttering are thioridaxine, trifluoperazine, and haloperidol. Experiments showed that thioridaxine and trifluoperazine reduce the severity of stuttering but not the frequency. Meanwhile, haloperidol is the most effective drug that improves stuttering symptoms as of to date but seldom prescribed because of its adverse effects such as dizziness.
Because of the popular theory of fear and anxiety as probable cause of stuttering, many experts have prescribed the use of sedatives and tranquilizers. An example of drug that has been tried but with little effect is the antihistamine, which has anti-anxiety and hypnotic effects.
Other minor tranquilizers include reserpine and meprobamate. Both are effective in lessening anxiety and physical tension.
Meanwhile, there are also drugs being prescribed based on a symptomatic and serendipitous basis. Some drugs are prescribed to cure the symptom of stuttering rather than the underlying etiology. For instance, neostignine was used because it was effective in treating spastic conditions, which some studies consider stuttering as a form of spasm. Luckily, some experiments showed positive results.
In addition, verapamil is a drug prescribed due to serendipitous basis—a calcium channel blocker is used in treating cardiac arrhythmia. Like neostignine, experiments also showed favourable results. It is believed that verapamil might also reduce spasm in the muscles of articulation the way it does in the cardiac muscles. Other types of cardiac medications also showed positive effects on stuttering.
Yet, there are two vital factors in treating stuttering. One, there is no single drug approach that has been proven better quality. Second, even experiments showed favourable results, these drugs did not eradicate the stuttering.
As such, there are different perspectives being taken in drug treatment for stuttering. From the etiological theories, experts view mainly the cause of stuttering as a psychological problem. It further explains that stuttering is a result of repressed needs or unconscious expression of internal conflicts.
Theories later see stuttering as a series of learned behaviours arising from psychological causes such as fear and anxiety. There are some theories that view stuttering as a genetic disorder. Scientific evidences later developed based on neurological motor and sensory deficits. These genetic abnormalities are combined with motor control deficits, learned behaviours, and psychological deficits as combined cause of stuttering.
Following these theories, still several pharmaceutical agents are invented to cure the disorder. Examples of agents based on these etiological theories are antipsychotics, neuroleptics, and sedatives and tranquilizers.
Antipsychotics include the use of carbon dioxide inhalation in 1948. This treatment would leave the stutterer unconscious for a moment and then followed by psychomotor excitement. Several psychological-related conditions such as phobias, hysteria, and disassociative states are treated with carbon dioxide. However, some experiments proved the ineffectiveness of carbon dioxide treatment in stuttering.
The neuroleptics are antipsychotic drugs that affect the psychomotor activity. Fortunately, they do not have hypnotic effects nor are sleep-inducing agents. Examples of neuroleptics used in treating stuttering are thioridaxine, trifluoperazine, and haloperidol. Experiments showed that thioridaxine and trifluoperazine reduce the severity of stuttering but not the frequency. Meanwhile, haloperidol is the most effective drug that improves stuttering symptoms as of to date but seldom prescribed because of its adverse effects such as dizziness.
Because of the popular theory of fear and anxiety as probable cause of stuttering, many experts have prescribed the use of sedatives and tranquilizers. An example of drug that has been tried but with little effect is the antihistamine, which has anti-anxiety and hypnotic effects.
Other minor tranquilizers include reserpine and meprobamate. Both are effective in lessening anxiety and physical tension.
Meanwhile, there are also drugs being prescribed based on a symptomatic and serendipitous basis. Some drugs are prescribed to cure the symptom of stuttering rather than the underlying etiology. For instance, neostignine was used because it was effective in treating spastic conditions, which some studies consider stuttering as a form of spasm. Luckily, some experiments showed positive results.
In addition, verapamil is a drug prescribed due to serendipitous basis—a calcium channel blocker is used in treating cardiac arrhythmia. Like neostignine, experiments also showed favourable results. It is believed that verapamil might also reduce spasm in the muscles of articulation the way it does in the cardiac muscles. Other types of cardiac medications also showed positive effects on stuttering.
Yet, there are two vital factors in treating stuttering. One, there is no single drug approach that has been proven better quality. Second, even experiments showed favourable results, these drugs did not eradicate the stuttering.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Facts about Stuttering
How do people usually react when they hear someone stutter? They most likely make fun of the stuttering person. And how do people usually perceive someone who stutters? Stupid, dumb, or even good for nothing. A person’s competence or personality is always judged based on how good a speaker he is. That is a sad reality for many people who tend to stutter. Whether you are among the 1 percent of the world’s population that stutters or not, it helps to know and understand the basic facts about this speech condition to put things in a better perspective. This is especially helpful for parents with children who stutter.
The following are some of the essential and interesting facts about stammering that people should know:
• Individuals who stutter are normal, as they lack only the ability to express words fluently. They are not mentally incapacitated as what others perceive them to be. Stutterers can be as smart as non-stutterers are.
• Speech disfluency typically begins at the age of two to five.
• Boys are four times more likely to stutter than girls.
• The real cause of stammering has not yet been determined.
• Speech disfluency runs in families, leading scientists to believe that this condition can be hereditary.
• A lot of well-known people in the field of politics and entertainment stuttered and were able to cope with their speech difficulties. The world’s famous stutterers include actress Marilyn Monroe, British politician Winston Churchill, King George VI, author Lewis Carroll, musician Carly Simon, and former U.S. president George W. Bush.
• For many people, stammering gives them a feeling that their speech is way beyond their control. Such a feeling makes them worry and disturbed about their self-image, causing them to feel ashamed of themselves and to be extremely anxious every time they speak. Their tendency to stutter also makes them fear talking in front of others.
• The anxiety that a person feels boosts the intensity and frequency of stammering. This creates a cycle that only escalates the condition.
• Stammering behaviors develop and change in a person’s entire lifespan. Most people who stutter experience variations in the level of their speech problem. There are times when they stutter frequently, while at other times, they stutter just a bit.
• In children, there are times when stammering seem to disappear on its own, but it goes back later on a more severe level.
• About 80 percent of toddlers who stutter will eventually outgrow their speech disfluency. The remaining 20 percent of these children continue the speech condition for the rest of their lives. These children tend to talk very fast and struggle to say words that seem to stuck. This behavior increases the likelihood of stammering in later years.
People with stuttering problems are often misunderstood, and this make the problem worse for them. It is important that you know how to deal with and help your family members or friends who stutter so that they will be able to cope better with their condition.
The following are some of the essential and interesting facts about stammering that people should know:
• Individuals who stutter are normal, as they lack only the ability to express words fluently. They are not mentally incapacitated as what others perceive them to be. Stutterers can be as smart as non-stutterers are.
• Speech disfluency typically begins at the age of two to five.
• Boys are four times more likely to stutter than girls.
• The real cause of stammering has not yet been determined.
• Speech disfluency runs in families, leading scientists to believe that this condition can be hereditary.
• A lot of well-known people in the field of politics and entertainment stuttered and were able to cope with their speech difficulties. The world’s famous stutterers include actress Marilyn Monroe, British politician Winston Churchill, King George VI, author Lewis Carroll, musician Carly Simon, and former U.S. president George W. Bush.
• For many people, stammering gives them a feeling that their speech is way beyond their control. Such a feeling makes them worry and disturbed about their self-image, causing them to feel ashamed of themselves and to be extremely anxious every time they speak. Their tendency to stutter also makes them fear talking in front of others.
• The anxiety that a person feels boosts the intensity and frequency of stammering. This creates a cycle that only escalates the condition.
• Stammering behaviors develop and change in a person’s entire lifespan. Most people who stutter experience variations in the level of their speech problem. There are times when they stutter frequently, while at other times, they stutter just a bit.
• In children, there are times when stammering seem to disappear on its own, but it goes back later on a more severe level.
• About 80 percent of toddlers who stutter will eventually outgrow their speech disfluency. The remaining 20 percent of these children continue the speech condition for the rest of their lives. These children tend to talk very fast and struggle to say words that seem to stuck. This behavior increases the likelihood of stammering in later years.
People with stuttering problems are often misunderstood, and this make the problem worse for them. It is important that you know how to deal with and help your family members or friends who stutter so that they will be able to cope better with their condition.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Various Treatment Options for Stuttering in Adults
Stuttering is an impediment to normal, fluent speech. It is a complex set of speech behaviors that include repetition of sounds or syllables, hesitation, and difficulty pronouncing a word or group of words.
If you always find your words stuck at the tip of your tongue, you are not alone. More than three million Americans suffer from this speech difficulty. For sure, you know how hard it is to cope with the condition, not to mention the mocking reaction of others whenever they hear stutters in a speech.
There is no single cure for stammering. However, stutterers can heave a sigh of relief from the fact that their condition can be reduced so that they will become more comfortable with speaking and interacting with people. Because the speech problem varies from one person to another, people who stutter also need different kinds of treatment. The treatment method you will use must be tailored according to your unique symptoms. That way, it will be easy and quick for you to improve your speech fluency.
Nowadays, a wide array of treatments is available for people who stutter. Here are some of the therapies and other treatment options you may consider to control your tendency to stumble when you talk.
Anti-Stuttering Medications
Make sure that the medications you are going to take to reduce stammering are prescribed by your doctor. Certain medications such as risperidone, olanzapine, and haloperidol typically lower the incidence of stammering by 30 to 50 percent. Ask your doctor about the side effects of these drugs, so you will be well prepared if there’s any.
Avoid medications that trigger or increase the severity of stammering. These drugs include SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) such as Zoloft and Prozac. Ritalin, a dopamine agonist, is not recommended as well for stutterers.
Stammering Modification Therapy
This treatment method does not aim to stop a person’s stammering altogether, simply because it is impossible. As the term implies, the therapy modifies or alters stammering to make the condition less severe. In addition, the therapy helps eliminate avoidance to social situations and reduce the fear associated with stammering. With the help of a clinically trained speech specialist, you can make yourself a better speaker despite your tendency to stutter, thanks to stammering modification therapy.
Fluency Shaping Therapy
This therapy uses proper articulation, breathing, and relaxation techniques to train a person to speak fluently.
When you undergo fluency shaping therapy, you will learn how to speak correctly and reduce stammering by breathing with your diaphragm, slowly increasing the tension in your vocal cord as you start speaking, prolonging vowels to slow down your rate of speaking, and lessening the pressure on your articulation.
The therapy takes about one to two years to complete. After the therapy, you will notice significant improvements in your speech such as slower and more fluent speech. About 70 percent of patients get successful results from fluency shaping therapy.
Anti-Stuttering Devices
Devices that are designed to stop stuttering are found to be effective when used with fluency shaping therapy. These gadgets provide a modified auditory feedback to their users, helping them to hear their speaking voice.
If you always find your words stuck at the tip of your tongue, you are not alone. More than three million Americans suffer from this speech difficulty. For sure, you know how hard it is to cope with the condition, not to mention the mocking reaction of others whenever they hear stutters in a speech.
There is no single cure for stammering. However, stutterers can heave a sigh of relief from the fact that their condition can be reduced so that they will become more comfortable with speaking and interacting with people. Because the speech problem varies from one person to another, people who stutter also need different kinds of treatment. The treatment method you will use must be tailored according to your unique symptoms. That way, it will be easy and quick for you to improve your speech fluency.
Nowadays, a wide array of treatments is available for people who stutter. Here are some of the therapies and other treatment options you may consider to control your tendency to stumble when you talk.
Anti-Stuttering Medications
Make sure that the medications you are going to take to reduce stammering are prescribed by your doctor. Certain medications such as risperidone, olanzapine, and haloperidol typically lower the incidence of stammering by 30 to 50 percent. Ask your doctor about the side effects of these drugs, so you will be well prepared if there’s any.
Avoid medications that trigger or increase the severity of stammering. These drugs include SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) such as Zoloft and Prozac. Ritalin, a dopamine agonist, is not recommended as well for stutterers.
Stammering Modification Therapy
This treatment method does not aim to stop a person’s stammering altogether, simply because it is impossible. As the term implies, the therapy modifies or alters stammering to make the condition less severe. In addition, the therapy helps eliminate avoidance to social situations and reduce the fear associated with stammering. With the help of a clinically trained speech specialist, you can make yourself a better speaker despite your tendency to stutter, thanks to stammering modification therapy.
Fluency Shaping Therapy
This therapy uses proper articulation, breathing, and relaxation techniques to train a person to speak fluently.
When you undergo fluency shaping therapy, you will learn how to speak correctly and reduce stammering by breathing with your diaphragm, slowly increasing the tension in your vocal cord as you start speaking, prolonging vowels to slow down your rate of speaking, and lessening the pressure on your articulation.
The therapy takes about one to two years to complete. After the therapy, you will notice significant improvements in your speech such as slower and more fluent speech. About 70 percent of patients get successful results from fluency shaping therapy.
Anti-Stuttering Devices
Devices that are designed to stop stuttering are found to be effective when used with fluency shaping therapy. These gadgets provide a modified auditory feedback to their users, helping them to hear their speaking voice.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Types of Assistive Devices for Treating Stuttering
The use of devise to control or cure stutter is just another method from the myriad of choices. But the use of devise isn’t a new invention that came with the dawn of technological advancement. Even before the time of Christ, famous Greek orator and stutterer Demosthenes practiced orating with pebbles in his mouth, sometimes with loud background noise, or while climbing steep hills.
Several types of assistive and anti-stuttering devices serve different purposes. One type of anti stuttering devices forces the stutterer to change mechanically his speech production pattern. French physician Jean Marie Itard made the first of this kind. He used a gold or silver “fork” and placed it under the tongue holding it in a higher position in the oral cavity.
Freed Stammercheck device is another example of this kind. This device force stutterers to speak with a limited range of lingual movement and slows pace of speech pattern. The Bates Appliance is more complicated that deals with many forms of stuttering. Another example is the Idehara “Stutter-Cure,” consisting of a retainer-like metal forms and a whistle to encourage continuous airflow when speaking.
Another type of devise provides visual and production to help stutterers identify and change their speech production as part of their therapies. These devices target different physiological processes. One example is the respiratory kinematics because many studies consider respiratory irregularities as a possible cause of stuttering. The “Breathing Monitor,” for instance, provides stutterers with real-time feedback on gaining adequate respiratory intake. It is part of a therapy, say the CAFET (Computer Aided Fluency Establishment Trainer). Both phonation and articulation are other physiological processes, which often appear to function abnormally in people who stutter.
There are also devices used to train gradual phonatory onset, sustained phonation, and reduce phonatory and or articulatory tension.
Because studies have proven that speaking to a superimposed rhythm aides to more fluent speaking pattern, a type of device is made to teach rhythmic and paced speaking patterns. An example is the Pacemaster electronic metronome, an attempt of ordinary portable metronome.
Recently, a surge of popularity and demand has been seen in devices that alter auditory feedback. It might be because of technological advances, groundbreaking designs, and great marketing techniques.
Several types of this kind include masked auditory feedback (MAF), delayed auditory feedback (DAF), frequency altered feedback (FAF), and the ones that provide combinations of the different altered auditory feedback patterns.
For instance, MAF refers to the use of sufficient sound to block auditory feedback of the speaker’s owns voice to his ears.
In addition, there are anxiety and fear-reducing devices—a class of assistive devices. It might be because studies show that anxiety towards stuttering, towards feared sounds, and towards speaking situations are vital rationales of the disorder.
Palmer Sweat Indexes (PSI) and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) are both used in stuttering therapies to measure physiologic correlates of anxiety. An example of this is the controversial technique called “Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing" (EMDR) therapy, introduced by Casa Futura Technologies few years ago.
Several types of assistive and anti-stuttering devices serve different purposes. One type of anti stuttering devices forces the stutterer to change mechanically his speech production pattern. French physician Jean Marie Itard made the first of this kind. He used a gold or silver “fork” and placed it under the tongue holding it in a higher position in the oral cavity.
Freed Stammercheck device is another example of this kind. This device force stutterers to speak with a limited range of lingual movement and slows pace of speech pattern. The Bates Appliance is more complicated that deals with many forms of stuttering. Another example is the Idehara “Stutter-Cure,” consisting of a retainer-like metal forms and a whistle to encourage continuous airflow when speaking.
Another type of devise provides visual and production to help stutterers identify and change their speech production as part of their therapies. These devices target different physiological processes. One example is the respiratory kinematics because many studies consider respiratory irregularities as a possible cause of stuttering. The “Breathing Monitor,” for instance, provides stutterers with real-time feedback on gaining adequate respiratory intake. It is part of a therapy, say the CAFET (Computer Aided Fluency Establishment Trainer). Both phonation and articulation are other physiological processes, which often appear to function abnormally in people who stutter.
There are also devices used to train gradual phonatory onset, sustained phonation, and reduce phonatory and or articulatory tension.
Because studies have proven that speaking to a superimposed rhythm aides to more fluent speaking pattern, a type of device is made to teach rhythmic and paced speaking patterns. An example is the Pacemaster electronic metronome, an attempt of ordinary portable metronome.
Recently, a surge of popularity and demand has been seen in devices that alter auditory feedback. It might be because of technological advances, groundbreaking designs, and great marketing techniques.
Several types of this kind include masked auditory feedback (MAF), delayed auditory feedback (DAF), frequency altered feedback (FAF), and the ones that provide combinations of the different altered auditory feedback patterns.
For instance, MAF refers to the use of sufficient sound to block auditory feedback of the speaker’s owns voice to his ears.
In addition, there are anxiety and fear-reducing devices—a class of assistive devices. It might be because studies show that anxiety towards stuttering, towards feared sounds, and towards speaking situations are vital rationales of the disorder.
Palmer Sweat Indexes (PSI) and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) are both used in stuttering therapies to measure physiologic correlates of anxiety. An example of this is the controversial technique called “Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing" (EMDR) therapy, introduced by Casa Futura Technologies few years ago.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Key Factors to Remember in Stuttering Therapy
There are myriad of ways to treat stuttering. One should not let stuttering get in the way of their speaking and conversing with other people, especially when one needs to demonstrate emotions.
A very popular treatment in stuttering is the speech therapy. This requires consulting a speech-language pathologist. However, finding the right speech-language pathologist for you is very important for they vary in expertise. Some may work perfectly with young children, while others specialize in problems associated with brain damage.
There are key factors to keep in mind in entering a therapy process. Pathologists and clinicians will not solve your disorder. They will be just key instruments in aiding you to eradicate stuttering. First, you should remember that all stuttering therapies are self-help process. Second, such therapy is long term and full-time process for stuttering affects not only your speech but also attitudes and behaviours. Thus, the third key point is about a therapy that alters speech, attitude and behaviour. Last, be sure to be clear about the process.
Speech therapies are sometimes available at local health clinics or university speech clinics. But do remember that mostly clinicians and pathologists here are graduate students in training. The graduate students also change each semester, so your relationship with your clinician is also changing.
Choosing a clinician and pathologist is another important factor in your therapy process. Vital aspects of time, financial resources, and plans are to be considered here. As a guide in selecting your clinician, here are some key points to look at. This advice is from Hugo Gregory of North-western University, a known speech-language pathologist.
One is the perspective of clinician on how to treat and use a program for his patients. Does he believe in one general type of program or a varied program that fit a particular characteristic of a stutterer?
Second is the content of the program. Does it focus on altering speech or does it include change in thoughts and feelings, or a combination of both?
Third is the process of the program. Does it include mechanisms for modification of stuttering or does it emphasize on learning skills for a stutter-free speech? This is also related to the fourth one. Does the program combine procedures for modifying stuttering with teaching of skills for building fluency?
Fifth is the practical aspect of the program. Does the program ensure a practice of learning from the clinic to real-life situations?
Sixth is the effort of the clinician to understand and link the frustration of the stutterer and his life experiences to be able to map how his patient will succeed in therapy and life in general.
Seventh is the span of time the therapy process will take. Is it short term or it has follow-up program to assist the stutterer in the process of change?
Lastly, has the clinician provided several opportunities for his patients to express their experiences before the therapy, during and after the therapy?
Generally, people who plan for a stuttering therapy should remember that good clinicians are honest, positive in their attitudes, open-minded, informative, and detail disciplined.
A very popular treatment in stuttering is the speech therapy. This requires consulting a speech-language pathologist. However, finding the right speech-language pathologist for you is very important for they vary in expertise. Some may work perfectly with young children, while others specialize in problems associated with brain damage.
There are key factors to keep in mind in entering a therapy process. Pathologists and clinicians will not solve your disorder. They will be just key instruments in aiding you to eradicate stuttering. First, you should remember that all stuttering therapies are self-help process. Second, such therapy is long term and full-time process for stuttering affects not only your speech but also attitudes and behaviours. Thus, the third key point is about a therapy that alters speech, attitude and behaviour. Last, be sure to be clear about the process.
Speech therapies are sometimes available at local health clinics or university speech clinics. But do remember that mostly clinicians and pathologists here are graduate students in training. The graduate students also change each semester, so your relationship with your clinician is also changing.
Choosing a clinician and pathologist is another important factor in your therapy process. Vital aspects of time, financial resources, and plans are to be considered here. As a guide in selecting your clinician, here are some key points to look at. This advice is from Hugo Gregory of North-western University, a known speech-language pathologist.
One is the perspective of clinician on how to treat and use a program for his patients. Does he believe in one general type of program or a varied program that fit a particular characteristic of a stutterer?
Second is the content of the program. Does it focus on altering speech or does it include change in thoughts and feelings, or a combination of both?
Third is the process of the program. Does it include mechanisms for modification of stuttering or does it emphasize on learning skills for a stutter-free speech? This is also related to the fourth one. Does the program combine procedures for modifying stuttering with teaching of skills for building fluency?
Fifth is the practical aspect of the program. Does the program ensure a practice of learning from the clinic to real-life situations?
Sixth is the effort of the clinician to understand and link the frustration of the stutterer and his life experiences to be able to map how his patient will succeed in therapy and life in general.
Seventh is the span of time the therapy process will take. Is it short term or it has follow-up program to assist the stutterer in the process of change?
Lastly, has the clinician provided several opportunities for his patients to express their experiences before the therapy, during and after the therapy?
Generally, people who plan for a stuttering therapy should remember that good clinicians are honest, positive in their attitudes, open-minded, informative, and detail disciplined.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Symptoms of Stuttering
Stuttering is a normal speech behavior that occurs in ordinary conversations, public speaking engagements, or group discussions. Almost everyone has experienced it, and it is not a cause for alarm if it does not interfere much in the clarity of a message or speech. However, some people tend to stutter more often than others. Stammering becomes a speech problem if it gets in the way of communication or expressing oneself clearly.
There are many misconceptions about people who stutter a lot. One is that they are not as smart or well adjusted as non-stutterers are. This is mainly because of their difficulty in expressing themselves. However, people who stutter are not as unintelligent as they may appear. Stammering and intelligence have nothing to do with each other.
To know more and understand what stammering is and how it is manifested in children and adults, you have to learn the symptoms of this speech condition. Learning the symptoms enables you to take immediate actions once you have confirmed that you have speech disfluency.
Problems with speech production are the first symptoms of stammering. The most obvious sign of stammering is the repetition of syllables, sounds, or words. This occurs usually at the start of a word. Hesitation is another symptom. A person who stutters prolong or hold certain sounds at the start of a word for a few seconds. Stutterers also add a particular word or sound to his or her sentence in place of the word that’s stuck in their tongue.
The other symptoms of speech disfluency manifest themselves when a person attempts to control his or her stammering. Several movements of the body can be noticed while a stutterer is speaking. These include jerky head movements, rapid blinking of the eyes, poor eye contact, and shaking of the lips and jaw.
A few symptoms are more difficult to see than the physical symptoms of stammering. These symptoms involve the emotions, which can be recognized by the stutterer himself. The worst among all symptoms of stammering include fear of the condition itself, inability to express oneself clearly, and avoidance of situations in which a person has to speak. Intense fear of being ridiculed and embarrassed is fairly common among people who frequently stutter.
Stutterers also tend to become angered and frustrated because of their condition and the reactions of other people about it. As a result, the self-esteem and self-image of a person who stutters go into a nosedive. All these emotional symptoms lead to another cycle of stammering symptoms, thus worsening a person’s speech difficulties.
All symptoms of stuttering vary throughout a person’s lifespan. They may increase or decrease, depending on the physical and emotional state of the stutterer. The symptoms may lessen when the person whispers, sings, talkx to pets, speaks along with others, or copies another person’s manner of speaking.
On the other hand, symptoms get worse because of certain situations such as increased anxiety and nervousness when a person has to speak in public or to talk on the phone. Also, there are particular medications that trigger or aggravate the symptoms of stammering.
There are many misconceptions about people who stutter a lot. One is that they are not as smart or well adjusted as non-stutterers are. This is mainly because of their difficulty in expressing themselves. However, people who stutter are not as unintelligent as they may appear. Stammering and intelligence have nothing to do with each other.
To know more and understand what stammering is and how it is manifested in children and adults, you have to learn the symptoms of this speech condition. Learning the symptoms enables you to take immediate actions once you have confirmed that you have speech disfluency.
Problems with speech production are the first symptoms of stammering. The most obvious sign of stammering is the repetition of syllables, sounds, or words. This occurs usually at the start of a word. Hesitation is another symptom. A person who stutters prolong or hold certain sounds at the start of a word for a few seconds. Stutterers also add a particular word or sound to his or her sentence in place of the word that’s stuck in their tongue.
The other symptoms of speech disfluency manifest themselves when a person attempts to control his or her stammering. Several movements of the body can be noticed while a stutterer is speaking. These include jerky head movements, rapid blinking of the eyes, poor eye contact, and shaking of the lips and jaw.
A few symptoms are more difficult to see than the physical symptoms of stammering. These symptoms involve the emotions, which can be recognized by the stutterer himself. The worst among all symptoms of stammering include fear of the condition itself, inability to express oneself clearly, and avoidance of situations in which a person has to speak. Intense fear of being ridiculed and embarrassed is fairly common among people who frequently stutter.
Stutterers also tend to become angered and frustrated because of their condition and the reactions of other people about it. As a result, the self-esteem and self-image of a person who stutters go into a nosedive. All these emotional symptoms lead to another cycle of stammering symptoms, thus worsening a person’s speech difficulties.
All symptoms of stuttering vary throughout a person’s lifespan. They may increase or decrease, depending on the physical and emotional state of the stutterer. The symptoms may lessen when the person whispers, sings, talkx to pets, speaks along with others, or copies another person’s manner of speaking.
On the other hand, symptoms get worse because of certain situations such as increased anxiety and nervousness when a person has to speak in public or to talk on the phone. Also, there are particular medications that trigger or aggravate the symptoms of stammering.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Foolproof Ways to Control Stuttering
An effective speaker is someone who can speak fluently without any trace of mumbling, rattling, and stuttering. If you speak well, people perceive you as a smart, charismatic person. On the other hand, if you often stutter and cannot express yourself clearly when you speak, people see you as an incompetent and weak person. Between the two kinds of speakers, which would you rather be? Of course, anyone would choose to be a fluent speaker.
However, as much as you would like to be flawless when you speak, there are times when anxiety and nervousness get the better of you. Sometimes as you speak, your tongue seems to trip itself over no matter how hard you try not to stutter. Don’t worry, it is possible to overcome this speech problem if you know the ways to control it.
If stuttering has become more of a habit than an exception to you, here are the steps you can take to curb that habit:
1. Create a mental picture of what you are going to say.
People who frequently stutter fail to visualize the words they intend to say before they start to speak. Worse, most of them have no idea what to say exactly and how to express it verbally.
If you try to picture in your mind what you wish to say, then it will be a lot easier for you to find the right words to use to convey your message. It would be better if you practice visualizing the letters of the word you are going to say as you speak.
2. Perform an aural visualization.
Practice speaking the words you usually find difficult to pronounce. That way, you make it more comfortable for you to speak those particular words. Let your brain hear the words you are going to say. This mental exercise helps you get used to speaking the words that typically cause you to stutter. Stutterers who perform the exercise successfully get more confident when they speak.
3. Avoid pressuring yourself too much.
The more you pressure yourself to speak fluently, the higher your chances of stumbling when you speak. It is because you increase your anxiety and stress when you are pressured, causing you to stutter. Stressing out yourself won’t do you any good—just relax and you will soon get the hang of it.
4. Speak more slowly.
The problem with many stutterers is that they speak very fast and forget to breathe before they start speaking. Take a deep breath before you speak and feel the rhythm of every word that comes out. Speaking too fast can lead to more stammering. So speak in a moderate pace so that you will stutter less often and will be understood by your listener.
5. Speak as though you are singing.
Try this: when you speak, do it in a singing way. Do you feel how much easier it is to speak that way? It is because people tend to stutter less when they sing. So why not use that technique to minimize your stuttering?
However, as much as you would like to be flawless when you speak, there are times when anxiety and nervousness get the better of you. Sometimes as you speak, your tongue seems to trip itself over no matter how hard you try not to stutter. Don’t worry, it is possible to overcome this speech problem if you know the ways to control it.
If stuttering has become more of a habit than an exception to you, here are the steps you can take to curb that habit:
1. Create a mental picture of what you are going to say.
People who frequently stutter fail to visualize the words they intend to say before they start to speak. Worse, most of them have no idea what to say exactly and how to express it verbally.
If you try to picture in your mind what you wish to say, then it will be a lot easier for you to find the right words to use to convey your message. It would be better if you practice visualizing the letters of the word you are going to say as you speak.
2. Perform an aural visualization.
Practice speaking the words you usually find difficult to pronounce. That way, you make it more comfortable for you to speak those particular words. Let your brain hear the words you are going to say. This mental exercise helps you get used to speaking the words that typically cause you to stutter. Stutterers who perform the exercise successfully get more confident when they speak.
3. Avoid pressuring yourself too much.
The more you pressure yourself to speak fluently, the higher your chances of stumbling when you speak. It is because you increase your anxiety and stress when you are pressured, causing you to stutter. Stressing out yourself won’t do you any good—just relax and you will soon get the hang of it.
4. Speak more slowly.
The problem with many stutterers is that they speak very fast and forget to breathe before they start speaking. Take a deep breath before you speak and feel the rhythm of every word that comes out. Speaking too fast can lead to more stammering. So speak in a moderate pace so that you will stutter less often and will be understood by your listener.
5. Speak as though you are singing.
Try this: when you speak, do it in a singing way. Do you feel how much easier it is to speak that way? It is because people tend to stutter less when they sing. So why not use that technique to minimize your stuttering?
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The Normalization of Speech Patterns in People Who Stutter
Michael Susca, a speech language pathologist, has presented a treatment process for stuttering. He called it the normalization of speech patterns.
He believed that people whom stutter comes from a very heterogeneous group. As such, he designed a program specific only to a certain group of people who stutter, but is applicable to a wide range of age.
Though it is still a working progress, the eligibility of a patient to undergo such program includes many factors such as normal intelligence, recognition of the stuttering problem, current motivation to eliminate the stutter, the absence of a deep or broad "genetic tree" of stuttering, report of a history of fluent communication experiences before stuttering problem to name a few. Patients are expected to meet as many criteria as possible to be appropriate in the program.
His program focuses on fixing underlying problems causing the symptoms and changing physiological processes with emphasis on normal speech and perpetual processes.
The program aims to teach patients to become their own therapists. In addition, it aims to improve their communicative skill through self-perception, volition, effectiveness, and naturalness. Patients are thought to change their self-image into a positive belief system.
It teaches patients to learn the willingness and confidences to begin communication with other people at varied time and place. It further teaches people who stutter to learn to respond, make changes in the environment verbally, and adjust to a new way of effortlessly sounding normal.
Unlike other stuttering programs, Susca’s treatment process does not have particular duration. It changes according to particular patients’ problems, needs, and logistics. However, the treatment sessions usually last for one hour and with a minimum of three times a week. Depending on the progress of patients, treatment sessions are normally reduced to once a week and then to once every other week, to once a month until the termination of treatment.
The first concern of the treatment program is patients’ use of cognitive secondary mannerisms. This process focuses on elimination of the use of avoidances, substitutions, and circumlocutions. The next step concerns with the increase of patients’ awareness of sensory inputs. Usually, patients are asked to go through an exercise that provokes the use or sensory inputs such as proprioception, kinaesthesia, and tactility. This is briefly repeated to develop awareness of sensory parameters in body movements.
Personal assessments are asked from the patients for them to lay out their progress and difficulties. Through continuous recognition of used techniques, patients learn the normal speech patterns and need less exaggerated techniques.
There are major techniques taught in this treatment process. One example is the developing of belly-breathing. This teaches patients about the general dynamics of breathing. In this technique, they are encouraged to use easy belly-breathing while laying their back on the floor.
The other technique is to develop and open throat posture that can be achieved in any one of four methods. This posture emphasizes an open, relaxed, pharyngeal structure through which airstream flows. It causes resonance change; teaches proper speaking posture to aid in reducing stuttering.
He believed that people whom stutter comes from a very heterogeneous group. As such, he designed a program specific only to a certain group of people who stutter, but is applicable to a wide range of age.
Though it is still a working progress, the eligibility of a patient to undergo such program includes many factors such as normal intelligence, recognition of the stuttering problem, current motivation to eliminate the stutter, the absence of a deep or broad "genetic tree" of stuttering, report of a history of fluent communication experiences before stuttering problem to name a few. Patients are expected to meet as many criteria as possible to be appropriate in the program.
His program focuses on fixing underlying problems causing the symptoms and changing physiological processes with emphasis on normal speech and perpetual processes.
The program aims to teach patients to become their own therapists. In addition, it aims to improve their communicative skill through self-perception, volition, effectiveness, and naturalness. Patients are thought to change their self-image into a positive belief system.
It teaches patients to learn the willingness and confidences to begin communication with other people at varied time and place. It further teaches people who stutter to learn to respond, make changes in the environment verbally, and adjust to a new way of effortlessly sounding normal.
Unlike other stuttering programs, Susca’s treatment process does not have particular duration. It changes according to particular patients’ problems, needs, and logistics. However, the treatment sessions usually last for one hour and with a minimum of three times a week. Depending on the progress of patients, treatment sessions are normally reduced to once a week and then to once every other week, to once a month until the termination of treatment.
The first concern of the treatment program is patients’ use of cognitive secondary mannerisms. This process focuses on elimination of the use of avoidances, substitutions, and circumlocutions. The next step concerns with the increase of patients’ awareness of sensory inputs. Usually, patients are asked to go through an exercise that provokes the use or sensory inputs such as proprioception, kinaesthesia, and tactility. This is briefly repeated to develop awareness of sensory parameters in body movements.
Personal assessments are asked from the patients for them to lay out their progress and difficulties. Through continuous recognition of used techniques, patients learn the normal speech patterns and need less exaggerated techniques.
There are major techniques taught in this treatment process. One example is the developing of belly-breathing. This teaches patients about the general dynamics of breathing. In this technique, they are encouraged to use easy belly-breathing while laying their back on the floor.
The other technique is to develop and open throat posture that can be achieved in any one of four methods. This posture emphasizes an open, relaxed, pharyngeal structure through which airstream flows. It causes resonance change; teaches proper speaking posture to aid in reducing stuttering.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Stuttering in Children: A Brief Guide for Parents
At the age of three to four, children begin stuttering as they develop their speech and language skills. That is just normal during the speech development stage, which causes toddlers to constantly repeat, hesitate, and mispronounce words, sounds, and syllables. This temporary stage is called normal disfluency or pseudo-stuttering that occurs as children learn how to speak properly. Parents have no reason to worry because kids will eventually outgrow this stage after several months.
Causes
Until now, the exact cause of speech disfluency in children is still the subject of numerous studies. However, there are factors that may possibly trigger speech disorders in children such as genetics and the malfunction of the mechanisms responsible for speech production in the brain, nerves, and muscles.
Symptoms
Stammering in children becomes a cause for alarm when they fail to show signs of improvement after six months since the onset of stammering. The following are the symptoms every parent should watch out:
• Frequent repetition of a certain syllable (e.g. “Mom, I want some cho-cho-cho chocolates.”)
• Tendency to pronounce particular sounds in a lengthy way (e.g. “Ccccccan I wwwwatch TV?”)
• Substitution of vowels when repeating certain syllables. (e.g. “I will wuh-wuh-wuhsh my feet.”)
• Change of tone and pitch when the child gets stuck with a word
• Avoidance of speaking for fear of getting embarrassed
How to Help Children Overcome their Condition
As a parent, you have to make life a bit easier for your child and lessen the struggles he or she has to endure while going through the speech disfluency stage. The following are useful tips to help your child cope with the speech problem:
• Refrain from asking your child too many questions. Toddlers will find it easier to speak more clearly when they are allowed to express themselves instead of answering questions often.
• Do not react negatively or scold your child whenever he or she stutters. Making your child feel that you dislike stammering will only make him or her more self conscious. Just listen and show a neutral reaction or simply smile. Also, avoid the urge to complete or correct the sentence for your child. Let him or her express the message without any interruption.
• After your child has completed the sentence, say it again in a slow manner to let him or her know that you understood the message.
• Speak to your child in a moderate pace. This will train your child to speak calmly instead of hurrying to say things. In addition, pay attention to what your child has to say. If you look like you’re in a hurry, your child will tend to speak faster to keep up with you.
• Encourage—but don’t force—your child to talk. That way, the child learns to be confident when speaking. Whenever your child says a complete and correct sentence, praise him or her.
Your child needs your care, understanding, and support to be able to cope with stuttering. Give your child the assurance that you won’t punish him or her for every mistake. That way, it will be easier for the child to outgrow the speech problem.
Causes
Until now, the exact cause of speech disfluency in children is still the subject of numerous studies. However, there are factors that may possibly trigger speech disorders in children such as genetics and the malfunction of the mechanisms responsible for speech production in the brain, nerves, and muscles.
Symptoms
Stammering in children becomes a cause for alarm when they fail to show signs of improvement after six months since the onset of stammering. The following are the symptoms every parent should watch out:
• Frequent repetition of a certain syllable (e.g. “Mom, I want some cho-cho-cho chocolates.”)
• Tendency to pronounce particular sounds in a lengthy way (e.g. “Ccccccan I wwwwatch TV?”)
• Substitution of vowels when repeating certain syllables. (e.g. “I will wuh-wuh-wuhsh my feet.”)
• Change of tone and pitch when the child gets stuck with a word
• Avoidance of speaking for fear of getting embarrassed
How to Help Children Overcome their Condition
As a parent, you have to make life a bit easier for your child and lessen the struggles he or she has to endure while going through the speech disfluency stage. The following are useful tips to help your child cope with the speech problem:
• Refrain from asking your child too many questions. Toddlers will find it easier to speak more clearly when they are allowed to express themselves instead of answering questions often.
• Do not react negatively or scold your child whenever he or she stutters. Making your child feel that you dislike stammering will only make him or her more self conscious. Just listen and show a neutral reaction or simply smile. Also, avoid the urge to complete or correct the sentence for your child. Let him or her express the message without any interruption.
• After your child has completed the sentence, say it again in a slow manner to let him or her know that you understood the message.
• Speak to your child in a moderate pace. This will train your child to speak calmly instead of hurrying to say things. In addition, pay attention to what your child has to say. If you look like you’re in a hurry, your child will tend to speak faster to keep up with you.
• Encourage—but don’t force—your child to talk. That way, the child learns to be confident when speaking. Whenever your child says a complete and correct sentence, praise him or her.
Your child needs your care, understanding, and support to be able to cope with stuttering. Give your child the assurance that you won’t punish him or her for every mistake. That way, it will be easier for the child to outgrow the speech problem.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Is There a Cure for Stuttering?
Do you often feel embarrassed whenever your friends make fun of how you speak? For sure, you are wondering if there is any cure for stuttering. Unfortunately, no magic pill or miracle can stop this speech problem.
However, here’s the good news: there are several methods that can help you reduce your tendency to stutter. With sheer determination and commitment, you can use some of these ways to improve your speech over time. Try to be positive—for sure, your efforts will eventually pay off.
The number one rule you must keep in mind when speaking: relax. You will stutter less often when you learn to relax while speaking. Let the words flow smoothly from your mouth. Never force yourself to talk too fast or else you only increase the likelihood of your stammering. Rushing your words only makes you stutter more. While keeping yourself relaxed, take deep breaths before you try to speak. And as you’re speaking, don’t forget to breathe out. Failure to breathe properly while speaking may have its serious consequences, including stammering.
As you are speaking, try to visualize the words in your mind. This will make it easier for you to speak slowly and fluently. Say each syllable or letter slowly. This tip is very helpful especially for words that usually make you stutter.
On the market today, there are several medications formulated to reduce stammering. These drugs work by affecting the brain as well as the nerves and muscles responsible for controlling speech. However, you cannot use them as a long-term treatment method because of their undesirable side effects.
Electronic gadgets that help people control their tendency to stutter are another option. But instead of aiding people to speak fluently, these devices tend to be disruptive. That is why only a few people use these gadgets along with speech therapies.
That being said, it would be better to rely on the specialists or people who are trained to treat people who stutter.
Of course, you have to consult your doctor or a speech pathologist to check your condition and identify the problem. The doctor can refer you to speech specialists who can treat stammering.
It helps to see a hynotheraphist who will treat your speech condition. A hypnotherapist specializes in using hypnosis to condition your mind in your favor. A speech therapist can also aid you in reducing the frequency of your stuttering. The therapist will train you to enhance your speech abilities by teaching exercises that help you visualize what you are going to say. Speech therapy is one of the most popular ways to treat speech problems such as stammering. Undergoing therapy can cost you money, but it can help you get results after several sessions.
Finally, having more self-confidence greatly improves the way you speak and lessens your stuttering. What does confidence have to do with your speaking abilities? Well, many people stutter a lot whenever they are very nervous or anxious. When you speak in front of people without being anxious at all, you will become more relaxed. And when you are relaxed, chances are you will become more fluent.
However, here’s the good news: there are several methods that can help you reduce your tendency to stutter. With sheer determination and commitment, you can use some of these ways to improve your speech over time. Try to be positive—for sure, your efforts will eventually pay off.
The number one rule you must keep in mind when speaking: relax. You will stutter less often when you learn to relax while speaking. Let the words flow smoothly from your mouth. Never force yourself to talk too fast or else you only increase the likelihood of your stammering. Rushing your words only makes you stutter more. While keeping yourself relaxed, take deep breaths before you try to speak. And as you’re speaking, don’t forget to breathe out. Failure to breathe properly while speaking may have its serious consequences, including stammering.
As you are speaking, try to visualize the words in your mind. This will make it easier for you to speak slowly and fluently. Say each syllable or letter slowly. This tip is very helpful especially for words that usually make you stutter.
On the market today, there are several medications formulated to reduce stammering. These drugs work by affecting the brain as well as the nerves and muscles responsible for controlling speech. However, you cannot use them as a long-term treatment method because of their undesirable side effects.
Electronic gadgets that help people control their tendency to stutter are another option. But instead of aiding people to speak fluently, these devices tend to be disruptive. That is why only a few people use these gadgets along with speech therapies.
That being said, it would be better to rely on the specialists or people who are trained to treat people who stutter.
Of course, you have to consult your doctor or a speech pathologist to check your condition and identify the problem. The doctor can refer you to speech specialists who can treat stammering.
It helps to see a hynotheraphist who will treat your speech condition. A hypnotherapist specializes in using hypnosis to condition your mind in your favor. A speech therapist can also aid you in reducing the frequency of your stuttering. The therapist will train you to enhance your speech abilities by teaching exercises that help you visualize what you are going to say. Speech therapy is one of the most popular ways to treat speech problems such as stammering. Undergoing therapy can cost you money, but it can help you get results after several sessions.
Finally, having more self-confidence greatly improves the way you speak and lessens your stuttering. What does confidence have to do with your speaking abilities? Well, many people stutter a lot whenever they are very nervous or anxious. When you speak in front of people without being anxious at all, you will become more relaxed. And when you are relaxed, chances are you will become more fluent.
Monday, February 21, 2011
The Nature and Causes of Stuttering
There is no single cause of stuttering to date. Many researchers have come out with varied results—some psychological basis and others neurological causes. There is another field that says stuttering is a homogenous disorder but this is yet to be disputed. It says that stutterers suffer from one underlying problem. Nevertheless, popular theories are based on heterogeneity of the disorder.
One theorist has argued that since there no measurement and causes of fluency, it is harder to define the causes of abnormality. For a long time, theorists believed that the concept of stuttering was an outgrowth or exacerbation of normal disfuency. Yet, these premises and models are still subjected to further experiments and studies.
To further aid in the study of stuttering, theorists tried to categorize and make a sub-group of people who stutters. First is the severity as a grouping variable. Many studies used this sub-grouping with so far mixed results of analyses. Meanwhile, the intriguing sub-grouping of Van Riper described four tracks in the development of shuttering.
The model of fluent speech production presents two important points in understanding the categories of stuttering. First, stuttering shows a failure in temporal processing. Second, stuttering shows an imbalance between the capacities of the fluency generating system and demands of the environment.
Following the model of fluent speech production, hypothetical types or sub groups in stuttering are formulated. First, the speech motor control sub-groups which have two distinct groups called dyspraxic stuttering and respiratory control stuttering. The first is characterized by phonological and fluency problems thus causing delays in the appearances of intelligible words and sentences, articulation problems, and slow speech rates.
For example, some adults have the difficulty of pronouncing longer words and have inconsistent articulation errors. Thus, stuttering occurs on longer and unfamiliar words.
The second one is directly linked to difficulties in voluntary control of muscles of respiration. That is why children who stutter most likely have asthma, allergies, and upper respiratory distress. This disorder is characterized by blocks and unvoiced prolongations.
Some theorists also consider the linguistic processing problems as main etiologic factor. Many children show delayed language development. This general category is called linguistic stuttering. There are three sub-types of group. The first one involves the developmental delays in aspects of linguistic processing. The second one is associated with problems in word finding or retrieval. The third is associated with problems in generation of complex grammatical forms and the last involves problems with auditory processing.
Another sub-group involves the cognitive processes. Problems in this area lead to disfluent speech production. However, one theorist says most likely a person who stutter has cognitive abilities that are superior to their linguistic and speech motor abilities.
Psychologically related factors cannot be eliminated in the sub-groupings of the causes stuttering. Anxiety is an important factor in stuttering. This is a critical factor with respect to severity of stuttering.
Theorists have based these groupings mainly on present results of studies. The sub-groupings of stuttering are yet to be tested and experimented.
One theorist has argued that since there no measurement and causes of fluency, it is harder to define the causes of abnormality. For a long time, theorists believed that the concept of stuttering was an outgrowth or exacerbation of normal disfuency. Yet, these premises and models are still subjected to further experiments and studies.
To further aid in the study of stuttering, theorists tried to categorize and make a sub-group of people who stutters. First is the severity as a grouping variable. Many studies used this sub-grouping with so far mixed results of analyses. Meanwhile, the intriguing sub-grouping of Van Riper described four tracks in the development of shuttering.
The model of fluent speech production presents two important points in understanding the categories of stuttering. First, stuttering shows a failure in temporal processing. Second, stuttering shows an imbalance between the capacities of the fluency generating system and demands of the environment.
Following the model of fluent speech production, hypothetical types or sub groups in stuttering are formulated. First, the speech motor control sub-groups which have two distinct groups called dyspraxic stuttering and respiratory control stuttering. The first is characterized by phonological and fluency problems thus causing delays in the appearances of intelligible words and sentences, articulation problems, and slow speech rates.
For example, some adults have the difficulty of pronouncing longer words and have inconsistent articulation errors. Thus, stuttering occurs on longer and unfamiliar words.
The second one is directly linked to difficulties in voluntary control of muscles of respiration. That is why children who stutter most likely have asthma, allergies, and upper respiratory distress. This disorder is characterized by blocks and unvoiced prolongations.
Some theorists also consider the linguistic processing problems as main etiologic factor. Many children show delayed language development. This general category is called linguistic stuttering. There are three sub-types of group. The first one involves the developmental delays in aspects of linguistic processing. The second one is associated with problems in word finding or retrieval. The third is associated with problems in generation of complex grammatical forms and the last involves problems with auditory processing.
Another sub-group involves the cognitive processes. Problems in this area lead to disfluent speech production. However, one theorist says most likely a person who stutter has cognitive abilities that are superior to their linguistic and speech motor abilities.
Psychologically related factors cannot be eliminated in the sub-groupings of the causes stuttering. Anxiety is an important factor in stuttering. This is a critical factor with respect to severity of stuttering.
Theorists have based these groupings mainly on present results of studies. The sub-groupings of stuttering are yet to be tested and experimented.
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