Do you feel intimidated when you get assigned to a new student who stutters? Many of you that have purchased my Fluency Survival Pack Bundle expressed your gratitude for that product because stuttering was out of your comfort zone. But why? What is it about stuttering that makes it so tricky? Well, my friend Becky who is an SLP that stutters thinks that it is because we don’t see a lot of fluency in practice so we never really are given the chance to get comfortable with it…. and I have to say, I absolutely agree with her!
I was lucky enough to see several stuttering clients (pediatric & adult) in graduate school, which means I got a lot of supervision and feedback to help me feel more comfortable. In addition, I’ve had many fluency students in the schools and in private practice. Because of the experience I’ve had, I usually don’t sweat it when I am working with someone who stutters. But I know that isn’t always typical.
This topic interests me greatly, so I was thrilled when Becky allowed me to pick her brain about it. Based on our talk, I present you with 5 things that people who stutter want you to know!
1) Stuttering is not a sickness.
People who stutter often consider stuttering to be part of their identity. It’s not an illness! Saying things like “your stutter has improved so much!” can often come across as though you perceive stuttering as a negative thing, and that your client would be much better off if they were always able to speak fluently.
2) Focus on strategies to manage stuttering, but don’t try to eliminate it!
People who stutter need a safe space where they can stutter freely. Trying to avoid it altogether just causes more stress and anxiety. I could seriously write an entire blog post on this topic alone!
3) Be empathetic to the emotional component that stuttering brings.
Sometimes stutterers need to vent about their frustration. Unless you also stutter, please avoid saying things like, “I understand” or “I know”, because in reality, you do not. Wondering what you should say instead? Try one of these statements- “I can’t imagine how hard that must be” or “That sounds really difficult”.
4) We are not nervous people!
There seems to be a misperception that stutterers aren’t as confident as people who do not stutter, but this just isn’t true!
5) Sometimes we have good days, sometimes we have bad days.
Sometimes there will be periods of fluency that will be replaced by periods of unexpected disfluency, it is just part of the process.
So, SLP friends, Did you learn something new? Have you had one of these misconceptions or have you said one of these things to someone who stutters? I’d love to hear what you have to say about it!
And a big shout out to Becky for allowing me to interview her for this blog post!
Did you like this post? Subscribe to email updates to learn about new posts, exclusive freebies, and product discounts.
Did you like this post? Subscribe to email updates to learn about new posts, exclusive freebies, and product discounts.
Recent Comments