Working with Big Kids Who Stutter: Resources for the Clinician

Lynne Shields
Fontbonne University
lshields@fontbonne.edu

INTERNET SOURCES:

The Stuttering Homepage
The Stuttering Homepage is managed by Judith Kuster at Minnesota State University at Mankato. There are selections designed specifically for children and teenagers (see: Just for Kids & Just for Teens), as well as a large number of resources for SLPs and families. An annual online conference is hosted by Judy Kuster from October 1-22 and includes a variety of short papers intended for people who stutter and the professionals who serve them. Check these out!

Stuttering Foundation of America
http://www.stuttersfa.org/
SFA has a wealth of resources in the form of booklets, pamphlets, videos (including one designed for teens who stutter) and much more. Obtain a brochure from the Stuttering Foundation of America by calling 1(800) 992-9392 or via their website. 

National Stuttering Association
http://www.nsastutter.org/
NSA provides information on their local chapters with contact information, publications, and online articles, with a section specifically for children and for teens. They can be reached by phone at 1(800) 364-1677

British Stammering Association
http://www.stammering.org/
Contains some nice articles for teenagers who stutter which can be used in therapy or assigned for outside research.

Friends:  Association of Young People Who Stutter
http://www.friendswhostutter.org/
Friends' provides good support for children and teenagers who stutter. They sponsor annual national conventions for children and families, and sponsor day-long workshops for children, families and SLPs. The next local FRIENDS Youth Day will be held on March 15, 2003 in Edwardsville, IL.

These IEP goals for children who stutter were suggested by Peter Dugan in an ASHA presentation entitled "Using Stuttering Modification to Take Advantage of the School Setting."

Fluency IEP Goals - Some Suggestions

• The child will demonstrate an increased understanding of stuttering by defining the following terms: stuttering, disfluency, bouncing, light contact, etc.
• The child will identify avoidance behaviors used during speaking situations.
• The child will correctly identify the use of physical secondary behaviors, in the speech of others, during structured clinical tasks.
• The child will use physical secondary behaviors during moments of stuttering in less than 5% of words spoken in the clinical setting.
• The child will use physical secondary behaviors during moments of stuttering in less than 5% of words spoken during reading group.
• The child will use easy stutters with 80% accuracy during clinical tasks with classmates in the school environment.
• The child will use light contacts, easy onsets and cancellations to modify moments of stuttering during class presentations with 80% accuracy

Therapy Ideas and Materials for Stuttering

(This webpage can be accessed through the ASHA Special Interest Division 4 website. Many of the articles listed are also available on The Stuttering Homepage, and the web address is listed beneath each entry.)

The following are links to therapy materials for stuttering that are currently freely available on the Internet. Additional materials and ideas are invited and will be placed exclusively on the Division password protected site if you choose.

Assessment Tools

• Parent-Clinician Fluency Assessment by Janice Westbrook
• Teacher Checklist for Fluency - designed by Nina Reardon to facilitate information sharing and consultation with the teacher of a child who stutters.
• Spanish Phrasing for SLPS - the 20 page section on stuttering from a book by Dorothy Miranda Esckelson and Adulfa Aguirre Morales, includes the yes/no questions for parents and Information/Suggestions to the Parents and Form letters.

Therapy ideas and materials

• Clinical Nuggets from ASHA Division 4 newsletter - for stuttering
• Stuttering awareness game - created on QUIA by Tammy Bryant-McMillin
• What would you do? - a place to help with problem solving
• Treating the School-Age Stutterer by Peter Ramig, et al.
• Connie Dugan's site has some materials for stuttering therapy.
• Fluency therapy ideas
• Over 100 Things to do at an NSA chapter meeting - many ideas that can be adapted for group therapy.
• Group Activities - from Gary Rentschler
• Activities for Individual Therapy - from Gary Rentschler
• Suggestions for Treating Cluttering from David Daly.
• Help for the Speedy Speaker - Techniques for Slowing Down a Fast Rate.
• Celebrating Me/Taming The Speech Monster Workshop - ideas for a day-long workshop for children who stutter by Lucy Reed.

Dealing with the emotional issues associated with stuttering

• Dealing with Teasing
  • Teasing
  • General links dealing with teasing

• Gallery of Childrens' Art about stuttering.
• Making My Own Way: Empowering Children Who Stutter - by Jackie Biagini and Judy Butler is a workbook "designed to foster trust, self-confidence, and interpersonal communication skills with set goals and a plan to achieve them." You must have Adobe's Free Acrobat Reader to access the book. You can download it at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html.

Making Classroom Presentations

• Class visits for children who stutter by Bill Murphy
• John Ahlbach's Stuttering Presentation Guide
• Tom Kehoe's Science Fair Projects for students who stutter
• Helping Children Who Stutter Become Their Own Advocates - reproducible pictures that can be used to assist children in explaining stuttering to their parents, teachers, and classmates
• A Play about Stuttering by a 4th grader named Valerie

Helping clients connect with others who stutter

• Key Pals/Pen Pals for children and adults

Posters

• Everyone's Different and Th-Th-That's Good Folks - from Warner Bros.
• Danger Signs Poster - by Gerald Johnson, for kids who stutter

Just for Kids - section of Stuttering Home Page for children

ISAD Online Conferences - may be a place for clients to ask questions (from October 1-22, 2000, there was an ISAD online conference focusing on children who stutter. It is freely accessible to anyone and will has papers for clinicians, parents, teachers, and even for children who stutter. Linked to the Stuttering Home Page.

Publications/Internet Articles

Here is a partial list of some of the books and articles that I've referred to during the presentation, and which you may find helpful in working with children who stutter:

• Chmela, K. A., & Reardon, N.  (2001).  The school-age child who stutters:  working effectively with attitudes and emotions.  A workbook.  Memphis:  Stuttering Foundation of America.
• Cooperman, D., & Bloom, C. M.  (2001).  Treating young children who stutter:  A holistic view (can also be accessed via Stuttering Homepage, select 2001 ISAD Conference).
• de Geus, E.  (2001).  Sometimes I just stutter:  A book for children between the ages of 7 and 12.  Memphis:  Stuttering Foundation of America.
• Guitar, B. (1998). Stuttering: An integrated approach to its nature and treatment, 2^nd Ed.  Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.
• Manning, W. H.  (2001).  Clinical decision making in the diagnosis and treatment of fluency disorders, 2^nd Ed.  Vancouver:  Singular.
• Murphy, B.  (2000).  Speech pathologists can help children who are teased because they stutter.  Paper presented at the 2000 International Stuttering Awareness Day Online Conference (may also be accessed via Stuttering Homepage, select ISAD conferences 1998-2000).
• National Stuttering Association.  (1999).  Our voices:  Inspirational insights from young people who stutter.  Anaheim Hills, CA:  National Stuttering Association.
• Shapiro, D. A. (1999). Stuttering intervention: A collaborative journey to fluency freedom. Austin: Pro-Ed.
• Starkweather, C. W., & Givens-Ackerman, J.  (1997).  Stuttering.  Austin, TX:  Pro-Ed.