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Stuttering Information:
Referrals are indicated when:
- parents are concerned for a child of any age
- excessive repetitions occur for longer than 3 months
- the child seems aware of difficulty speaking
- symptoms appear (for adults) (Example - 308KB)
Developmental
- begins at 2 to 5 years of age
- cause is unknown
- 75% are males
- occurs as a family pattern but is not inherited
Acquired
- occurs later in life as the result of insult or injury to the brain
Current thoughts on causes:
- Stuttering is physically, NOT emotionally based.
- There may be several causes.
- The way speech is monitored is not effective.
Current thoughts on cure:
- It may be "outgrown."
- There is no cure - just learn ways to control speech.
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Services:
Evaluation
- Medical history
- Oral examination
- Speech samples with/without situational stress
- Fluency measures
- Attitude questionnaires
- Other tests to rule out associated disorders
Recommendations
- Speech therapy / home program
- Medical evaluation / intervention
- Participation in a support group
- Psychological counseling to cope with the effects of stuttering
Therapy
- Specific objective goals
- Educational counseling
- Exploring the individual pattern
- Elimination of "secondary" characteristics
- Computer-aided biofeedback
- Techniques for fluency
- Techniques to get out of "blocks"
- Monitoring speech kinesthetically (by feel)
- Indirect treatment for children beginning to stutter
- Field trips for practice / experience
Communication / coordination
Fluency Support
Group
designed specifically for people who stutter - to share experiences with dysfluency, ideas for coping and successes
in speaking
Diagnosis and treatment may include any or all of the above.
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