Beyond Fluency

06/23/2022

Check out some cool new stuttering research from the International Stuttering Project. So proud of my colleagues at Vanderbilt, Curtin University in Western Australia, and several others around the world!

In the 2010 film, “The King’s Speech,” a speech therapist helps the king of England overcome a significant stutter so that he can address the nation at the outbreak of World War II. If only it were that straightforward. For those who stutter, and there are millions of people of all races and c...

05/31/2022

Summer is just about here! For many, summer = more flexible schedules and more time to focus on YOU. Take this time to work on reducing your stress surrounding stuttering, build your self-confidence as a speaker, and develop tools to become an effective communicator.

For more information about stuttering help, check out our website at https://www.beyondfluency.org/

04/10/2022

Love this!

For those who don’t know, self-disclosure (also called “advertising”) is the act of informing your listener, casually and simply, that you stutter. For many of our clients—especially those prone to the high-stress “mental gymnastics” of hiding disfluencies during conversation—acknowledging their stutter outright can have a profound unburdening effect.

So a big goal in therapy is guiding clients toward trying it out for the first time, which often happens on the phone, calling businesses to ask simple customer-service questions…while letting the employee know that they might stutter while doing it. It’s a daunting feat, one that requires a slow, patient build-up. But this week, we had three new clients make their very first calls!

Crafting one’s own self-disclosure is an art. As clinicians, we guide clients in developing statements that are empowering, natural, and—most important—that fit their authentic self-expression.

Carl Herder, Clinic Director of our Atlanta office, put together these three tips to help people start thinking about how they might approach the challenge:

1. Call it "Stuttering"

Many people, when referring to their stuttering, will call it a speech problem, a speech impediment, a stammer, etc. Help out the listener by letting them know the actual name of the actual problem. This helps to avoid confusion about the best way for your listener to refer to it.

2. Don't Apologize!

Sometimes it's a knee-jerk apology, and it can be tough to avoid. Remember though, you didn't choose to stutter. It's not your fault. You don't owe anyone an apology. Tell them you stutter, maybe tell them what that means, and do so as assertively as you can.

3. Keep it Simple!

You want the listener to know you stutter, and you want to experience the benefits of knowing they know... but it's usually not necessary to go beyond the essential information.

Are you someone who self-discloses regularly? We’d love to have your tips or success stories in the comments below.

03/25/2022

Just had an incredible session with a client...the one that included tears, light bulbs, and breakthroughs. This is why I do what I do!

03/25/2022

Did you ever think of this way?

11/25/2021

11/04/2021

Did you know....

Marilyn Monroe exhibited many secondary characteristics typical of a covert stutterer, including a sing-song breathy voice that some have pointed out resemble a therapeutic treatment for stuttering at the time.

Marc Shell, author of the book "Stutter," describes Monroe’s musical performances as “revealing motivating links between music and speech,” particularly her renditions of the classic songs Irving Berlin’s “Heat Wave” and Cole Porter’s “My Heart Belongs to Daddy”. These songs, from two of her most famous movies, feature her unique phrasing that includes breaks, filler words and repetitions, while backup singers fill in words during pauses. This technique “mimick[s] the stutterer/listener relationship.”

Did you know Marilyn was a PWS??

10/23/2021

Happy International Stuttering Awareness Day! How will you celebrate?

Here are some ideas:
Learn more facts about stuttering and squash those myths (e.g., https://www.stutteringhelp.org/FAQ?gclid=CjwKCAjwwsmLBhACEiwANq-tXIA0lmI_rzWM6sBJoep0puAt9sdzCqfOYA8HC1qFHU3oFY35MeirFhoClxEQAvD_BwE)

Get together with a friend or loved one, pop some popcorn and watch a movie or documentary about stuttering (e.g., The King's Speech; My Beautiful Stutter).

Listen to a podcast about topics related to stuttering (e.g., StutterTalk.com)

Spread awareness about stuttering with a friend, extended family member, teacher, or neighbor.

Join a stuttering support group (e.g., https://westutter.org/find-nsa-meeting-near/north-carolina/).

Whatever you do, remember to be proud and honor yourself for who you are and what you have accomplished along your stuttering journey!

International Stuttering Awareness Day is right around the corner on October 22nd, and we have several ways to help you raise awareness, all at little or no cost to you. […]

10/20/2021

I often have clients draw their stutter to help them describe their experience with the disorder. Here is an incredibly powerful illustration done by one of my super smart 14 year old clients.

09/30/2021

Ever think about getting treatment but have no idea how you can possibly add 1 more thing to your schedule? I know that's how I feel when thinking of making any kind of appointment! Luckily, we offer evening sessions via teletherapy, which affords the flexibility of sessions after work hours, after homework is done, and the kids have gone to sleep. This means that you can find time to work on something extremely important -- boosting your self-confidence as an effective communicator! About to hop on to a session now with another wonderful client.

07/15/2021

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Did you know stuttering treatment involves so much more than working on just overt stuttering behaviors (e.g., repetitions, prolongations, blocks etc..)?

One of first things we explore with clients—of all ages—is the anatomy and physiology of speech. That's right. Whether you're 5, 15, or 50, we talk about how speech happens and what body parts are involved. Doing so helps clients develop an understanding of what might happen when we stutter, and builds a strong foundation for all the work we do later on (for example, learning how to reduce muscular tension when speaking...among many MANY other strategies).

Check out this brilliant 13 year-old client's drawing of her speech anatomy. We learned about how our body's mechanisms work together to formulate language and produce speech, and what can potentially happen during moments of stuttering.

05/17/2021

Check this out: Stuttering was featured on the TODAY Show!
https://www.today.com/video/how-the-stuttering-community-has-been-inspired-by-president-biden-s-struggle-111944261581

This video video may also be viewed on the TODAY's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMhubXIeBeQ