Question
I am working with a severe stutterer who makes good grades in everything except reading fluency. He does have a difficult time when reading blocks and repeats words. How can I instruct the teacher and parent in modifying the requirement of words per minut
Answer
This is a great question. Thank you for asking us to discuss it. One of the most important things you can do to help children who stutter is to eliminate or reduce time pressure. By making this child read material in a specified amount of time, his teachers and/or parents are actually increasing the possibility that he will stutter more. I would advise the parents and the teachers to remove the time restrictions and let the child read at his own pace. They might need some education and counseling to understand that time pressure and speaking demand will likely lead to an increase in speech disfluencies, which will have more of a negative impact on his reading fluency. If he is able to go at his own pace, and feel that he has time to implement learned speech modification and stuttering modification techniques, then his reading fluency might improve as well.
The other issue here is that reading fluency should not be based solely on how many words can be read per minute. It seems to me that places too much of an emphasis on speed, rather than accuracy. One of the things we try to accomplish with many children who stutter is to teach them a phrased speech approach (breaking up sentences into smaller units), which reduces overall communication rate.
There are many great resources for teachers of children who stutter. These may be helpful to educate them about stuttering.
Craig E. Coleman is a Clinical Coordinator at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and Co-Director of the Stuttering Center of Western Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at the University of Pittsburgh. Craig is a Board-Recognized Specialist in Fluency Disorders. He has served on the Legislative Council of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Craig is also a past president of the Pennsylvania Speech, Language, and Hearing Association.
Craig Coleman, M.A.,CCC-SLP
Related Courses
1https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/ripple-effect-stuttering-community-based-9217The Ripple Effect of Stuttering: A Community-Based ApproachThis is Part 2 of a four-part series. The stuttering experience has a ripple effect that extends far beyond the child who stutters. Parents, teachers, peers, and others must possess both knowledge and skills to best support children who stutter. This course will highlight new clinical tools and resources to provide a community-based treatment approach for stuttering. (Part 1 - Course 9278, Part 3 - Course 9301, Part 4 - Course 9304)auditory, textual, visual129USDSubscriptionUnlimited COURSE Access for $129/yearOnlineOnlySpeechPathology.comwww.speechpathology.comThe Ripple Effect of Stuttering: A Community-Based ApproachThis is Part 2 of a four-part series. The stuttering experience has a ripple effect that extends far beyond the child who stutters. Parents, teachers, peers, and others must possess both knowledge and skills to best support children who stutter. This course will highlight new clinical tools and resources to provide a community-based treatment approach for stuttering. (Part 1 - Course 9278, Part 3 - Course 9301, Part 4 - Course 9304)9217OnlinePT120M
This is Part 2 of a four-part series. The stuttering experience has a ripple effect that extends far beyond the child who stutters. Parents, teachers, peers, and others must possess both knowledge and skills to best support children who stutter. This course will highlight new clinical tools and resources to provide a community-based treatment approach for stuttering. (Part 1 - Course 9278, Part 3 - Course 9301, Part 4 - Course 9304)
2https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/creating-allies-and-developing-advocacy-9223Creating Allies and Developing Advocacy Skills in Stuttering TherapyThis is Part 3 of a four-part series. This course will focus on specific strategies for involving parents/caregivers in stuttering therapy, and promoting self-advocacy skills among clients who stutter. Through the use of case studies, the speakers will problem-solve obstacles commonly faced by speech-language pathologists when addressing these important aspects of therapy. (Part 1 - Course 9278, Part 2 - Course 9286, Part 4 - Course 9304)auditory, textual, visual129USDSubscriptionUnlimited COURSE Access for $129/yearOnlineOnlySpeechPathology.comwww.speechpathology.comCreating Allies and Developing Advocacy Skills in Stuttering TherapyThis is Part 3 of a four-part series. This course will focus on specific strategies for involving parents/caregivers in stuttering therapy, and promoting self-advocacy skills among clients who stutter. Through the use of case studies, the speakers will problem-solve obstacles commonly faced by speech-language pathologists when addressing these important aspects of therapy. (Part 1 - Course 9278, Part 2 - Course 9286, Part 4 - Course 9304)9223OnlinePT120M
This is Part 3 of a four-part series. This course will focus on specific strategies for involving parents/caregivers in stuttering therapy, and promoting self-advocacy skills among clients who stutter. Through the use of case studies, the speakers will problem-solve obstacles commonly faced by speech-language pathologists when addressing these important aspects of therapy. (Part 1 - Course 9278, Part 2 - Course 9286, Part 4 - Course 9304)
3https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/best-practices-for-stuttering-assessment-9225Best Practices for Stuttering Assessment and Treatment Including the Role of Support GroupsThis course is Part 4 in a four-part series. It will provide an overview of stuttering peer support communities and the clinical importance of incorporating community experience into therapy. Current research and practical application questions will address goal writing, SLP roles and responsibilities, and common challenges connecting therapy to the community. Case studies will be shared to highlight assessment and treatment across various age ranges. (Part 1 - Course 9278, Part 2 - Course 9286, Part 3 - Course 9301)auditory, textual, visual129USDSubscriptionUnlimited COURSE Access for $129/yearOnlineOnlySpeechPathology.comwww.speechpathology.comBest Practices for Stuttering Assessment and Treatment Including the Role of Support GroupsThis course is Part 4 in a four-part series. It will provide an overview of stuttering peer support communities and the clinical importance of incorporating community experience into therapy. Current research and practical application questions will address goal writing, SLP roles and responsibilities, and common challenges connecting therapy to the community. Case studies will be shared to highlight assessment and treatment across various age ranges. (Part 1 - Course 9278, Part 2 - Course 9286, Part 3 - Course 9301)9225OnlinePT120M
This course is Part 4 in a four-part series. It will provide an overview of stuttering peer support communities and the clinical importance of incorporating community experience into therapy. Current research and practical application questions will address goal writing, SLP roles and responsibilities, and common challenges connecting therapy to the community. Case studies will be shared to highlight assessment and treatment across various age ranges. (Part 1 - Course 9278, Part 2 - Course 9286, Part 3 - Course 9301)
4https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/counseling-in-stuttering-treatment-practical-11022Counseling in Stuttering Treatment: Practical StrategiesThe use of counseling strategies in stuttering treatment is described in this course. Focus is placed on targeting negative reactions to stuttering.auditory, textual, visual129USDSubscriptionUnlimited COURSE Access for $129/yearOnlineOnlySpeechPathology.comwww.speechpathology.comCounseling in Stuttering Treatment: Practical StrategiesThe use of counseling strategies in stuttering treatment is described in this course. Focus is placed on targeting negative reactions to stuttering.11022OnlinePT60M
5https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/20q-early-childhood-stuttering-less-897820Q: Early Childhood Stuttering: Less-Direct and More-Direct TreatmentThe key issues in the treatment of early childhood stuttering, with a focus on less-direct and more-direct treatment approaches are addressed in this course. Ways that clinicians can draw upon various approaches to develop individualized treatment so that each child’s and family’s individual needs are addressed are discussed.textual, visual129USDSubscriptionUnlimited COURSE Access for $129/yearOnlineOnlySpeechPathology.comwww.speechpathology.com20Q: Early Childhood Stuttering: Less-Direct and More-Direct TreatmentThe key issues in the treatment of early childhood stuttering, with a focus on less-direct and more-direct treatment approaches are addressed in this course. Ways that clinicians can draw upon various approaches to develop individualized treatment so that each child’s and family’s individual needs are addressed are discussed.8978OnlinePT60M
The key issues in the treatment of early childhood stuttering, with a focus on less-direct and more-direct treatment approaches are addressed in this course. Ways that clinicians can draw upon various approaches to develop individualized treatment so that each child’s and family’s individual needs are addressed are discussed.
