The Experiences of a Child Who Stutters Monica M. Overcast Honors Thesis Presentation April 18, 2008 Special Education/Communication Disorders Program

Thank You! Participants Dr. Estelle Klasner Charlotte Mason Dr. Deborah Rhein

Introduction-Overview Most people don’t understand the profound effect communication disorders can have.  Understanding promotes tolerance and empathy. Timothy Flynn and Kenneth St. Louis (2007) What are the experiences of a child, and his family, that mildly/moderately stutters? Why stuttering?  Stereotypical Why one family?  Personal

Background Information In order to understand how stuttering affects lives, one must understand what stuttering is and what causes stuttering.  What is stuttering? Countless definitions based on etiology. Barry Guitar (2006)  Hi occurrence or duration of prolongations, repetitions and/or blocks. Prolongation – a sound or syllable within a word is held out longer than it should be. Repetition – syllable repetition within words. Blocks – speech mechanisms are held in place and are temporarily unable to move.  Mental and physical attempt to continue speech.  Results in a negative attitude towards communication by the person who stutters (PWS)

Background Information What causes stuttering?  “There is no single etiology, but as many etiologies as there are stories of stuttering development” Starkweather, 1997  Most theories can be divided between nature or nurture.

Background Information Name (*denotes subtheories)Etiology of Stuttering 1. Anticipatory and struggle behavior theory* The belief of the person who stutters that speaking is difficult. 2. Breakdown theory*Child is genetically predisposed to stuttering and begins to stutter when environmental or psychosocial issues cause pressure. 3. Capacities and demands theoryThe demands on the child for fluent speech exceeds the child’s ability to produce fluent speech. 4. Cybernetic theory of stutteringThere is a breakdown in the servomechanism feedback model where the ear is the sensor, the vocal organs and motor innervation are the effectors, and the function of the brain is the controller. 5. Learning theory*Stuttering is learned. 6. Repressed need theoryPsychological needs are not met.

Methodology A family with a child who stutters will be asked to participate.  The child will be evaluated at the New Mexico State University Speech and Hearing Clinic.  The child and family will be interviewed regarding how stuttering has affected their life.

Limitations Only one family is being interviewed.  Every family is affected differently. Only one disorder is being addressed.  Each disorder has a different impact. Time  The interviews are only conducted once. These limitations, however, do not hinder the thesis’s main objective of evoking understanding.

Literature Review Previous literature on how stuttering affects the life of the person who stutters was reviewed.  Bibliographies  Personal essays  Books on stuttering

The interviews The child  1. Why do you think you stutter?  2. How does stuttering make you feel?  3. When do you think you stutter the most?  4. When do you think you stutter the least?  5. Has anyone ever made fun of you for stuttering?  6. Tell me about a time when you stuttered when talking to your mom or dad.  7. How did this make you feel?  8. Tell me about a time when you stuttered when playing with your brothers or sisters.  9. How did this make you feel.  10. Tell me about a time when you stuttered at school.  11. How did this make you feel?  12. Can you make yourself stutter? not stutter?  13. How long have you stuttered?  14. What do people tell you when you stutter?  15. What do you think stuttering is?  16. What do your friends tell you about stuttering?  17. What happens when you try not to stutter?  18. Do you have any friends that stutter?  19. What do you do when you stutter?

The interviews Parents  1. How long has your child stuttered?  2. What do you think stuttering is?  3. Why do you think he stutters?  4. How does it make you feel when your child stutters?  5. How do you think your child feels about stuttering?  6. Tell me about a time when your child stuttered while talking to you.  7. How did this make you feel?  9. What do you tell your child when he stutters?  10. How do you think stuttering affects your child’s school?  11. Can you understand your son/daughter when they stutter?  12. How do you think your child’s stuttering affects his/her social life?  13. Has your child ever been teased for stuttering?  14. Has his/her teacher ever said anything about his/her stuttering?  15. What does your child tell you about stuttering?  16. Have you ever stuttered?  17. Do you have any other family that stutters?

The Interviews Siblings  1. Why do you think your brother/sister stutters?  2. How does it make you feel when your brother/sister stutters?  3. Tell me about a time when your brother/sister stuttered when they were talking to you.  4. How did this make you feel?  5. What do you tell your brother/sister when they stutter?  6. How do you think your brother/sister feels when they stutter?  7. Can you understand your brother/sister when he/she stutters?  8. Do you think that your brother/sister can make themselves stop stuttering?  9. What do you think stuttering is?  10. Do you ever tease your brother/sister for stuttering?

Conclusion It is impossible to understand how communication disorders affect every family. It is possible to understand that they can and most of the time do have a significant impact on the family. It is possible to be empathetic.

Bibliography Bloodstein, Oliver. (1995). A Handbook on Stuttering. San Diego, CA: Singular Publishing Group. Bothe, Anne K. (2004). Evidence-Based Treatment of Stuttering: Empirical Bases and Clinical Applications. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Conture, Edward G. (2001). Stuttering: Its Nature Diagnosis, and Treatment. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Flynn, Timothy and St. Louis, Kenneth. (2007). Retrieved on April 15, 2008 from Gillam, Ronald B., Marquardt, Thomas P. and Marin, Frederick N.(2000). Communication Sciences and Disorders: From Science to Clinical Practice. San Diego, CA: Singular Publishing Group. Guitar, Barry (2006), Stuttering: An Integrated Approach to its Nature and Treatment (3rd ed). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Manning, Walter, M. (2001). Clinical Decision Making in Fluency Disorders (2nd ed). San Diego, CA: Singular Publishing Group. Nicolosi, Lucille; Harryman, Elizabeth and Kresheck, Janet. (2004). Terminology of Communication Disorders (5th ed). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Starkweather, C. Woodruff and Janet Givens-Ackerman. (1997). Stuttering. Austin Texas: Pro Ed.