Stuttering Speech Therapy

BECOME A CHANGE AGENT

Those of us who speak without stuttering should be thankful to God, and also appreciate the great effort made by those who stutter; support and give them all the encouragement you can. We all know someone or may have come in contact with a stutterer. Imagine what it would be like if just asking for 'voter registration card' made you to break into a cold sweat and if when speaking, you often got stucked on words or continuously repeating the first sound over and over. Such is the case with millions of people all over the world regardless of colour black, white or brown.

However, many who struggle with stuttering problem have not let the condition rob them a meaningful life. Some have even become famous, some are politicians, civil servants, social workers, doctors, nurses, engineers, custodians, etc. Interestingly, with help people who stutter can sing, preach the gospel, whisper and hold a normal conversation.

A client once said to me when he stutter, he gets nervous, then stutter even more. He said "It feels like I am in a deep hole, unable to get out." It is frustrating, humiliating with low self-esteem - he said. No one knows the causes, some ancients during the Middle Ages believed that stuttering is taboo caused by evil spirit. Modern school of thoughts says it is hereditary and psychological.

Whatever the THOUGHT you too can become a change agent:

There are speech-therapy programs that can improve fluency. Some techniques involve relaxing the jaw, lips, tongue and breathing from the diaphragm. Instead of telling the stutterer to slow down, set the example by speaking more slowly yourself. Be patient and listen---do not interrupt or finish his sentence. Pause for few seconds before u respond. Avoid criticism and correction. More importantly, make appropriate eye contact; your facial expressions, body language, and comments will transmit signal of interest in what he says, and not how he said it.

GOODLUCK !

Dr. Fenibo Braide
Psychotherapist, Philadelphia Outpatient psychiatric clinic
December 11, 2010