Shortly after my book, “Voice Unearthed” was published, a
leader in the field of speech therapy for children who stutter expressed
concern that my message would “only confuse parents.” I don’t disagree – and I believe this is a
good thing. We often become confused
when we gain information that challenges our current belief system. Confusion forces us to make the time and
space to reflect and to seek further understanding.
It was exactly this confusion that motivated me to spend six
years researching and writing “Voice Unearthed.” This book was written to help those dealing
with this issue articulate their concerns and move forward in demanding and
creating better strategies.
Last Sunday our Unitarian pastor complimented us on how, by
coming to church and sitting quietly for an hour, we were making time, thus
space, for ourselves. Creating this
space in our lives often leads to reflection and increased awareness. Confusion is one path to that essential place.
When I was running Eli back and forth to speech therapy
twice a week, sitting down with him every day to have “special time,” finding time for his older brothers, homeschooling,
working, keeping everyone fed and watered and keeping up a house, I had little
time to reflect. One week the speech
therapist had a family emergency and we suddenly had six additional hours of free
time. It was literally during this week
that my level of discomfort and confusion surfaced. I had the space and time to reflect on how
the extraordinary level of energy and resources we were putting into therapy
compared to what we were getting in return.
Of course I hoped it would all pay off in the long run, but deep down I
think I knew better.
The National Stuttering Association admits that their
surveys indicate that “84% experienced a relapse after improving their fluency
in therapy.” http://www.nsastutter.org/stutteringInformation/NSA_Survey_Results.html
And what does this relapse do – especially to a school-aged
child who so wants to please? Each time
they make a speech error, in their minds they have relapsed. Daily, hourly, each and every minute this is
the world they live in. Filled with fear
of failure, of shame, of embarrassment because they failed to use their tool
box to avoid the dreaded speech error. This
expectation is not only developmentally inappropriate – but does far more harm
than good.
Many parents and speech therapists have shared with me that
they were never comfortable with the instruction and guidance they were getting. Increasing parents’ and speech therapists’ awareness
of the level of disagreement, chaos, and confusion that reigns amongst
professionals and researchers SHOULD result in an increased discomfort with how
kids who stutter are treated. Call it
confusion or call it frustration, I call it all good because the more parents
and speech therapists who find themselves uncomfortable with the current state
of therapy, the more quickly much needed change will come about.
Thank you for your interest and keep them talking!
Best,
Dori Lenz Holte
I am the mother of a three year old who has recently started stuttering. I have contacted the Canadian Stuttering Association and I have made an appointment with my family doctor but after reading your blgos I am wondering what suggestions you might have for helping my daughter??
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