Online Resources on Cluttering: The Other Fluency Disorder

by Judy Kuster

A short column that I wrote "Cluttering: The Other Fluency Disorder", appeared in The ASHA Leader, March 2009. The column featured several internet resources about "cluttering," and began

Typing "clutterer" into a standard search engine quickly leads to resources about hoarding and how to organize/declutter your life. After taking the quiz and determining that I am a clutterer, I am considering joining "clutterers anonymous".

But to a speech-language pathologist, a "clutterer" is a person who has a unique, relatively unknown fluency disorder. For many years, the classic book by Deso Weiss, (1964) Cluttering, Prentice Hall, was the most widely referred to resource on cluttering.

Below is an attempt to integrate online information about Cluttering into a single site which can be referenced as up-to-date cluttering resources on the Internet as of the time website was created. The site includes:

• Materials from the The International Cluttering Association Website which is a growing repository of information and materials about cluttering (listed as ICA)
• Articles from the 2010 online conference It's About Time to Recognize Cluttering including links to questions and comments about the papers (listed as online conference). The conference also featured "Office Hours: The Professional Is In" where several responded to questions about cluttering. The archive of those discussions is still online.
• The resources mentioned in the Leader article "Cluttering: The Other Fluency Disorder" that are still online.
• Materials originally linked on The Stuttering Home Page (SHP)
• Materials from the British Stammering Association's Information about cluttering (BSA)
• New resources that have been discovered.

As cluttering becomes more recognized, researched, and recorded, more Internet resources may be added to this list which is part of the Stuttering Home Page

BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT CLUTTERING

• St. Louis, K.O., Raphael, L.J., Myers, F.L., and Bakker, K. 2003, Nov. 18. Cluttering Updated. The ASHA Leader, pp. 4-5, 20-22 (Includes "More on Cluttering" which "shows additional difficulties with articulation, rate and speech intelligibility" at the end of the article.
• St. Louis and Florence Myers A Synopsis of Cluttering and Its Treatment (1998 ISAD online conference).

Problems with Defining Cluttering

• On Defining Cluttering Chapter 3, p. 27-51 of Myers, F. L., & St. Louis, K. O., (Eds.) (1992). Cluttering: A Clinical Perspective. Leicester: FAR Communications. Reissued: San Diego, CA: Singular, 1996. (The entire book is freely available online for those interested. (online conference)
• What is Cluttering? Defining Cluttering in Terms of Its "Lowest Common Denominator" by Kenneth O. St. Louis (West Virginia, USA) (online conference)
• Cluttering: A Spectrum Approach to Definition by David Ward (UK) (online conference)
  • Questions raised about cluttering definitions - facilitated by Kathleen Scaler Scott (Pennsylvania, USA) and Yvonne van Zaalen op't Hof (Netherlands) Open Discussion about Defining Cluttering (please open the introduction (online conference)
• Towards a data-based definition of cluttering by Robin Lickley (Scotland) Questions/comments (online conference)
• Cluttering: a language-based fluency disorder by Yvonne van Zaalen op't Hof and Philip Dejonckere (Netherlands) Questions/comments (online conference)
• Cluttering: Should We Be Looking at Central Auditory Processing Abilities? by Carla Di Domenicantonio (Canada) Questions/comments (online conference)
• My personal walk with cluttering: From nonbeliever to believer by John Tetnowski (Louisiana, USA) Questions/comments (online conference)
• Optional Symptoms of Cluttering by Cindy Spiller, Ph.D.

Cluttering: A Multi-cultural perspective

• Understanding Cluttering: The Bulgarian Experience by Dobrinka Georgieva (Bulgaria) Questions/comments(online conference)
• The Worldwide Panorama of Cluttering: Non-Western Countries by Isabella Reichel, Florence Myers, and Klaas Bakker (USA) Questions/comments(online conference)
• Internet Cluttering Resources by Judith Kuster (Minnesota, USA) Questions/comments (online conference)
• Effects of Cultural Influences Upon Awareness of Cluttering: Latin American Countries by Chris Wilkerson and Klaas Bakker (Missouri, USA) Questions/comments (online conference)

From Consumers: People who live with cluttering

• From People Who Clutter
  • From Joseph Dewey
    • My Experiences With Cluttering text online conference
    • Interview with a Person who Clutters by Camil Reyes-Alami.(SHP)
  • Peter Kissagizlis
    • When is speech too cluttered a article from the BSA newsletter "Speaking Out" by Peter Kissagizlis
    • Tributes to Peter (BSA)
  • People with Cluttering Have Room for Success by Tatyana Exum, Charlene Absalon, Baruti Smith, and Isabella Reichel (New York and Florida, USA) Comments and questions (online conference)
  • Living with Cluttering by Denise Cox, British Stammering Association
• From Families Dealing with Cluttering

• • Advocating For My Child: Building the Right Team by Caprice Gommoll (New Jersey, USA) Comments and questions (online conference)
  • Cluttering - A Parents Perspective by Jonathan Wong (California, USA) Comments and questions (online conference)

CLUTTERING VIDEOS

• Joseph Dewey on Cluttering (a 30 minute video - if the link doesn't work, use this URL https://www.kaltura.com/tiny/7cgtg ) by Joseph Dewey Comments and questions (online conference)
• YouTube - Benedictine Monastery by Joseph Dewey
• An interview with Peter Kissagizlis: Cluttering and Me by Peter Kissagizlis (formerly of the UK)includes a link to Comments (from the ICA online conference)including an excellent example of cluttered speech.
• The Stuttering Foundation has an excellent 42 minute video on Cluttering available for $10.

ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT OF CLUTTERING

• International Cluttering Association's Where to look for help if one clutters (ICA)

  A large section of "Assessment and Treatment Information and Tools for Cluttering" has been developed as part of Examples of Materials That Can Be Adapted For Therapy. Direct URL to CLUTTERING MATERIALS

RESEARCH ABOUT CLUTTERING

• Kuster's extensive Cluttering Bibliography starting 1946 through 2008 (SHP) A volunteer to update this is welcome to contact me
• Bibliographies about cluttering in three languages (ICA)
  • English
  • French
  • German
• PROCEEDINGS of the First World Conference on Cluttering (First World Cluttering Conference, 2007 Katarino, Bulgaria) are now available as a *.docx file (April 14, 2010) from the International Cluttering Association site.
• Cluttering Education in Canadian University Programs - 2009 Survey Carla Di Domenicantonio (Canada) Questions/comments(online conference)
• Verbal Time Estimation in Cluttering Emily Garnett and Kenneth St. Louis (West Virginia, USA) Questions/comments(online conference)
• Differences in Hesitations between Clutterers and Non-Clutterers by Emily Garnett and Kenneth St. Louis (West Virginia, USA) Questions/comments(online conference)
• Articulatory Variability in Cluttering by Mariam Hartinger and Christine Mooshammer, Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica 2008;60:64-72
• For several years, ASHA has maintained handouts presenters at the annual ASHA conventions have provided. There are some handouts archived for presentations about cluttering. Authors and Titles are listed below for several conferences which were at one time linked below. ASHA moved all the resources. They can now be found by accessing the ASHA website directly. More recent conferences can also be searched using the keyword "cluttering."
  • ASHA Convention - 2007
    • Is It Cluttering Without Rapid Speech Rate? SLPs' Perspectives - Kelly Mische (.doc file)
    • A Framework for Stuttering & Cluttering: The Dual Premotor Model - Per Alm (.pdf file)
    • Identifying & Treating Cluttering: Effective Strategies Clinicians Need To Know - David Daly (.zip file - unzips to folder of .pdfs)
  • ASHA Convention - 2008
    • Providing Worldwide Cluttering Education: Accomplishments of the International Cluttering Association - by Scaler Scott (Word document)
    • Cluttering Severity Instrument form (Word document) and A comprehensive measure of cluttering severity - by Klaas Baker (PPT)
    • Treatment of Cluttered Speech in Asperger's Disorder - by Scaler Scott (PPT)
    • Providing Worldwide Cluttering Education: Accomplishments of the International Cluttering Association - by Scaler Scott, Bakker, St. Louis, Myers, Adams, Bennett Lanouette, Filatova, Kuster, Lanouette, Reichel, Rhein, Simonska, van Zaalen-op't Hof, & Ward (a poster session)
  • ASHA Convention - 2009
    • Verbal Time Estimation in Cluttering - by Emily Garnett, Kenneth O. St. Louis (Word document)
    • Pushing the Envelope: Assessing Cluttering Severity with Computers - by Klaas Bakker, Florence Myers (document)ASHA Convention - 2010

BOOKS ABOUT CLUTTERING

• Cluttering - A Clinical Perspective (1986) by Florence Myers and Kenneth St. Louis - British Stammering Association review. Can be Ordered here on Amazon. The entire book is also Freely available online (ICA website)
• Stuttering and Cluttering (2006) by David Ward - British Stammering Association review, can be Ordered here on Amazon
• Cluttering: A Handbook of Research, Intervention and Education (2011) edited by David Ward and Kathleen Scaler Scott - can be Ordered here on Amazon which has the Table of Contents and reviews
• Cluttering: Current views on its nature, diagnosis, and treatment by Yvonne van Zaalen and Isabella Reichel - can be Ordered here on Amazon
• Managing Cluttering A Comprehensive Guidebook of Activities by Kathleen Scaler Scott and David Ward (Author) can be Ordered here on Amazon
• The Source for Stuttering and Cluttering (1996) by David Daly can be Ordered here on Amazon
• Cluttering (1964) by Deso Weiss. Can be Ordered here on Amazon

SPREADING THE WORD

• T.R.A.D.E., newsletter from the International Cluttering Association edited by Charley Adams - (South Carolina, USA) Questions/comments (online conference)
• Putting Cluttering on the World Map: Formation of the International Cluttering Association by Florence Myers (New York) Questions/comments(online conference)
• How a person with cluttering and a SLT can spread the word about cluttering by Hilda Sonsterud and Helene Kvenseth (Norway) Questions/comments(online conference)
• CLUTTERING: Some Guidelines in html or PDF format - free, downloadable brochure developed by Kenneth O. St. Louis from the Stuttering Foundation.
• Cluttering Brochure free downloadable brochure developed by Klaas Bakker, Isabella Reichel, and Ellen Bennett Lanouette from the International Cluttering Association
• Stuttering vs. Cluttering NSA brochure by Kathleen Scaler Scott
• Speaking of Cluttering - brochure from the International Cluttering Association
• The ICA Brochure in English, Dutch, Persian, and Spanish

ADDITIONAL ON-LINE RESOURCES PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT CLUTTERING

• The July 2009, Volume 19, Number 2 Perspectives, a peer-reviewed newsletter for ASHA Division 4: Fluency and Fluency Disorders, is password protected. It provides good information about cluttering.
• An article on Wikipedia provides some interesting information on the history of cluttering
• Cluttering: Resolving the Mystery PPT presentation by Ellen Bennett Lanouette for the 2008 Texas Speech-Language and Hearing Association.
• Cluttering - brief explanation about cluttering from Speech Disorder website
• Cluttering: Specialists work to put it on the map of fluency disorders by Jason Mosheim, Vol. 14, Issue 47, Page 6 ADVANCE Magazine
• Possible Class Handout on Cluttering
• Cluttering - one of Super Duper's "Handy Handouts" (PDF)
• Spoonerisms - information about Spoonerisms, a symptom sometimes mentioned in association with cluttering.
• A cartoon by Jenny Loehr attempts to depict "the fundamental difference between cluttering and stuttering".
• Help The ICA Choose a Logo by Kathleen Scaler Scott (Pennsylvania, USA) Questions/comments(online conference)
• Speech Cluttering discussion from 2007 on WrongPlanet.net's "General Autism Discussion" added to information on Cluttering