Ed, I like your idea of classification system for SLP's like a driver's license, but unfortunately there is nothing like that. Many times, when clients call to inquire about speech and language therapy, they ask about qualifications (I give a sort of bio or resume whenever asked) and often for referrals from others who have received similar therapy. Most of my clients who call for help with stuttering are word of mouth referrals. At least for me (and especially with teens and adults who stutter), I always ask what their goal or goals are for their speech. Often I hear, "to stop stuttering." And I always tell them that anyone who promises you 100% fluency is lying. But attaining some level of fluency is not impossible for all. I don't want to rob anyone of hope. I try to lead them toward the goal of being effective communicators whether or not they stutter, and work with them on accepting stuttering. I trust PWS's and PWS's who are SLP's to help guide my therapy because they know best what works and what doesn't work. The people I have seen (teens and adults) make the most progress are the ones who are willing to do the desensitization exercises, pseudostutter in public, advertise their stuttering, along with some stuttering modification work (learning to stutter in an easier way). I lose new clients often when I tell them my philosophy because many want to be cured or want a quick fix, which I can't offer. However, I have seen many make incredible gains in their speech simply by working through feelings of shame and embarrassment, and learning to be more open about their speech, along with the stuttering modification work. But it's a lot of work and it's not for everyone. Support groups and listserves like this are very necessary in the therapeutic process (and are often more helpful than therapy).
I'm enjoying this discussion and looking forward to seeing The King's Speech very soon.
Kris Baines, MA, CCC-SLP Walnut Creek, CA
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Washington Post Article on The King's Speech
1 After seeing "The King's Speech," the Golden Globe-nominated drama that starsColin Firth as George VI, who overcomes a terrible stutter, we couldn't help but wonder: How many of the therapeutic techniques depicted in the film are legitimate? According to Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation of America, which has an office here in Washington, several are still used for people with halting speech.
Fraser points to the accuracy of some specific lip-loosening methods adopted by the king's unconventional therapist, Lionel Logue (played by Geoffrey Rush), including the practice of "bouncing on a word," or repeating it until the speaker gets unstuck, and recording a person's voice so he can hear how it sounds. Less common? Encouraging tongue trippers to spew profanities during their sessions, as Firth does to great comedic effect in the movie.
Fraser - whose father, businessman and philanthropist Malcolm Fraser, founded the Stuttering Foundation in 1947 - got to praise Firth's performance in person. Last week, she attended a London charity screening of "The King's Speech," hosted by the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children. Because the benefit was held on the same night that widespread riots broke out in the British capital, Palin (yes, the guy from the "Monty Python" movies) got stuck in traffic and the event's start time was delayed.
"Guess who was in the VIP room with Colin all that time?" Fraser laughs. But even precious face time with Firth isn't her greatest "King's Speech" joy.
"The thrill for all of us that work with stuttering is that it's portrayed so marvelously," she says.
Fraser points to the accuracy of some specific lip-loosening methods adopted by the king's unconventional therapist, Lionel Logue (played by Geoffrey Rush), including the practice of "bouncing on a word," or repeating it until the speaker gets unstuck, and recording a person's voice so he can hear how it sounds. Less common? Encouraging tongue trippers to spew profanities during their sessions, as Firth does to great comedic effect in the movie.
Fraser - whose father, businessman and philanthropist Malcolm Fraser, founded the Stuttering Foundation in 1947 - got to praise Firth's performance in person. Last week, she attended a London charity screening of "The King's Speech," hosted by the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children. Because the benefit was held on the same night that widespread riots broke out in the British capital, Palin (yes, the guy from the "Monty Python" movies) got stuck in traffic and the event's start time was delayed.
"Guess who was in the VIP room with Colin all that time?" Fraser laughs. But even precious face time with Firth isn't her greatest "King's Speech" joy.
"The thrill for all of us that work with stuttering is that it's portrayed so marvelously," she says.
Friday, December 17, 2010
David Evans, pws, stuttering
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The effect of linguistic, memory, and social demands on the speech motor control and autonomic response of adults who stutter
David Lloyd Evans, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Abstract
Multifactorial models of stuttering suggest cognitive, affective, linguistic, and social factors influence the speech motor system of people who stutter and these factors may be different across people who stutter. However, little research has described the influence of contextual factors on the speech motor processes and autonomic responses of adults who stutter (AWS). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of linguistic, memory, and social factors on the perceptually fluent speech and affective responses of AWS. A total of 8 AWS and 8 adults who do not stutter (AWNS) participated in this study. Each participant completed three speaking tasks that imposed either a linguistic, memory, or social demand. Autonomic data (heart rate and pulse volume), perceived anxiety, and acoustic data were collected during each speaking task. Acoustic data was analyzed for differences of mean central tendency and intra-speaker variability for phrase duration, word duration, vowel duration, voice onset time, F2 transition duration, F2 transition rate, and F2 transition extent. Acoustic results showed that AWS were not different than AWNS on temporal and spectral measures of central tendency as well as temporal variability. However, AWS were significantly more variable in F2 transition extent than AWNS across all speaking tasks suggesting greater variability in posterior to anterior tongue advancement. Results also showed the linguistic task generally contributed to longer and more variable temporal durations when compared to the control, audience, or memory tasks. Autonomic results showed AWS were similar to AWNS in their levels of autonomic arousal and perceived anxiety across the speaking tasks. Analyses of individual participants revealed that the greatest increase in autonomic arousal or perceived anxiety during the speaking tasks did not always relate to an increase in temporal or spectral intra-speaker variability. History of stuttering and treatment for stuttering did not predict trends in intra-speaker variability. Interestingly, a negative relationship existed for AWS between heart rate and perceived anxiety during the audience task. The findings are discussed relative to clinical implications for the field of stuttering and multifactorial models of stuttering. Directions for future research are also proposed.
Recommended Citation
David Lloyd Evans, "The effect of linguistic, memory, and social demands on the speech motor control and autonomic response of adults who stutter" (January 1, 2009). ETD collection for University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Paper AAI3352378. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI3352378
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http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/
My Account
FAQ
About
Home
Home > DISSERTATIONS > AAI3352378
The effect of linguistic, memory, and social demands on the speech motor control and autonomic response of adults who stutter
David Lloyd Evans, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Abstract
Multifactorial models of stuttering suggest cognitive, affective, linguistic, and social factors influence the speech motor system of people who stutter and these factors may be different across people who stutter. However, little research has described the influence of contextual factors on the speech motor processes and autonomic responses of adults who stutter (AWS). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of linguistic, memory, and social factors on the perceptually fluent speech and affective responses of AWS. A total of 8 AWS and 8 adults who do not stutter (AWNS) participated in this study. Each participant completed three speaking tasks that imposed either a linguistic, memory, or social demand. Autonomic data (heart rate and pulse volume), perceived anxiety, and acoustic data were collected during each speaking task. Acoustic data was analyzed for differences of mean central tendency and intra-speaker variability for phrase duration, word duration, vowel duration, voice onset time, F2 transition duration, F2 transition rate, and F2 transition extent. Acoustic results showed that AWS were not different than AWNS on temporal and spectral measures of central tendency as well as temporal variability. However, AWS were significantly more variable in F2 transition extent than AWNS across all speaking tasks suggesting greater variability in posterior to anterior tongue advancement. Results also showed the linguistic task generally contributed to longer and more variable temporal durations when compared to the control, audience, or memory tasks. Autonomic results showed AWS were similar to AWNS in their levels of autonomic arousal and perceived anxiety across the speaking tasks. Analyses of individual participants revealed that the greatest increase in autonomic arousal or perceived anxiety during the speaking tasks did not always relate to an increase in temporal or spectral intra-speaker variability. History of stuttering and treatment for stuttering did not predict trends in intra-speaker variability. Interestingly, a negative relationship existed for AWS between heart rate and perceived anxiety during the audience task. The findings are discussed relative to clinical implications for the field of stuttering and multifactorial models of stuttering. Directions for future research are also proposed.
Recommended Citation
David Lloyd Evans, "The effect of linguistic, memory, and social demands on the speech motor control and autonomic response of adults who stutter" (January 1, 2009). ETD collection for University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Paper AAI3352378. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI3352378
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Thursday, December 16, 2010
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The King's Speech Movie Raises Awareness
Film nominated for 7 Golden Globes...Best Pic, Best Director, best actor, best supporting actor + supporting actress, best Screenplay (David Seidley), Best Song?.....
http://www.kansas.com/2010/12/14/1632049/much-talk-about-stuttering.html
http://www.kansas.com/2010/12/14/1632049/much-talk-about-stuttering.html
Friday, December 10, 2010
Understanding
The release of the film “The King’s Speech,” a film starring notable British actor Colin Firth, casts stuttering—a prevalent condition that employers are likely to encounter in employees and job applicants—in a new light. The movie highlights the personal and professional obstacles that affect people who stutter, as well as many of the misconceptions surrounding the condition.
Changing Perceptions
Stuttering affects around one percent of the adult population, equivalent to more than three million people in the United States. Men are more likely to be affected than women and the severity of the condition is widely variable.
Dr. Tommie Robinson, president of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), hopes “The King’s Speech” will change various misconceptions about people who stutter. “There’s often a perception that they have lower intelligence or are less effective communicators,” he told SHRM Online. “As a result, I believe that many people who stutter are working in jobs that don’t maximize their skill capacity.”
Some believe that stuttering is a psychological disorder or something an individual can control. “People often think we can stop it if we want to,” said Barry Cohen, a university employment coordinator in New York, N.Y., who has stuttered since childhood. “A lot of people can’t understand why other people stutter. Many have a short tolerance and it makes them uneasy to have a conversation with someone who stutters.”
Stuttering is first and foremost a physical condition caused by involuntary closures of the mouth and other speech structures. These uncontrollable physical behaviors cause the sufferer’s speech to get stuck. Sounds or syllables might be repeated, delayed or prolonged. Involuntary facial expressions and body movements might be evident as well.
Emotional components of stuttering often develop as a consequence of the anxiety or awkwardness individuals experience when communicating. As a consequence, many people find that their stuttering worsens under pressure. This makes nerve-wracking situations such as job interviews and presentations especially challenging for people who stutter.
The reality, however, is that those who stutter are no more prone to nerves, shyness or emotional maladjustment than non-stutterers. They have no problems selecting the right words, only in getting them out. “People with communication disorders communicate—they simply communicate differently,” Robinson explained. “The actor James Earl Jones is a person who stutters. Joe Biden also has a stutter, yet they’re both considered great communicators.”
Accommodation Begins with Understanding
Cohen started his career selling dictionaries door-to-door on a commission-only basis when his stutter and shyness prevented him from performing well in job interviews. As a salesperson he developed coping mechanisms, such as substituting problematic words and apologizing when he stuttered in front of a customer.
The turning point in Cohen’s career came when his employer enrolled him in a public speaking course. “Each class member gave a two-minute presentation each week,” explained Cohen. “It bolstered my confidence since none of us were critics or criticized. In fact, I later became a class instructor.” Cohen went on to become an area manager and was later recruited as the first national sales manager for Snapple Beverage Corporation. Today, he works as a career specialist and delivers seminars about job interviewing.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities and there are numerous cases where the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has found in favor of complainants discriminated against on the basis of having a stutter. In one case, an electronics mechanic who stuttered was overlooked for a permanent position on the basis of the employee having “poor communication skills.” The EEOC found that the employee communicated differently, but not poorly.
ASHA and other speech disfluency support and advocacy organizations, such as the National Stuttering Association, challenge employers to think about what sort of communication skills are needed to perform a job competently. An over-emphasis on oral communication skills often detracts from the value of writing, listening, speaking slowly and developing empathy; skills that people who stutter often possess in abundance.
“If you’re an employer with an employee who has a communication disorder,” Robinson said, “start a conversation with them and ask questions. Find out what sort of things they don’t feel comfortable doing. Ask the question ‘how can I help you?’ If you’re a person who stutters, part of the treatment process is to prevent avoidance behavior. Get it out in the open.”
Guidelines, Support and Advocacy
In order to communicate better with people who stutter, the National Stuttering Association offers the following general guidelines:
- Speak normally in a relaxed manner.
- Maintain natural eye contact, even when the person is stuttering.
- Don’t finish the person’s sentence or suggest words.
- Don’t equate hesitant speech with uncertainty.
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) provides a range of practical accommodation strategies to meet the needs of those who stutter, such as removing telephone duties from a job description or providing a job applicant with interview questions in advance so that they have time to prepare without pressure. Employers can find more information about accommodating employees and job applicants who stutter on the JAN web site.
Additional information on stuttering can be obtained from the following education, advocacy and support groups:
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
- National Stuttering Association.
- Stuttering Foundation of America.
- International Stuttering Association.
Kylie Hughes is a freelance writer based in Charlotte, N.C.
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Thursday, December 09, 2010
The King's Speech Brings Awareness
In the film "The King's Speech," Colin Firth plays King George VI of Britain. After his older brother Edward ran off with an American woman, George took over the throne. But in order to address his subjects, the new king had to overcome a major obstacle: his stutter.
By portraying the difficulties the king faced in confronting his speech disorder, the film promises to bring awareness to a topic that is often misunderstood by the public, say national leaders in the field.
"We are absolutely thrilled to see stuttering portrayed in a way that is going to introduce a whole new generation to how devastating this problem can be," says Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation of America, a national nonprofit organization. She says the amount of publicity the film is likely to receive could have a major impact on people who stutter, on their families and on the help they receive.
"Public awareness could help in a number of ways — encouraging parents to seek treatment for children, helping reduce some of the stigma, helping to reduce bullying and teasing and increase funding for research into stuttering treatments." adds Tommie Robinson, president of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Assn., in an e-mail.
Having a public that is more sympathetic will perhaps afford stutterers the comfort of not having to explain themselves every time they open their mouths to speak. If the film succeeds in that, Robinson says, "it would serve an important purpose."
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