UTD Callier Center

Stuttering Therapy Programs

People Who Overcame their Stuttering

Winston Churchill, John Stossel, Bill Walton, Carly Simon and even James Earl Jones

Stuttering therapy usually means changing long-standing speech behaviors, emotions, and attitudes about talking and communication in general.

Stuttering is a communication disorder in which the flow of speech is broken by repetitions, prolongations or abnormal stoppages of sounds and syllables. Unusual facial and body movements may also be associated with the effort to speak.

Y.E.S.S. Youth Experience Stuttering Support
A support group for school-aged children who stutter and their parents in the Dallas area. Much of the time will be spent with children and parents in separate groups.

The group serves two purposes for children:

emotional support and an opportuity to share experiences
an opportunity to practice flunency enhancing techniques learned in speech therapy in a therapeutic group setting during conversational interactions.

The group serves two purposes for parents:

share useful information/resources about stuttering as well as strategies to help children of different ages.
to learn from each other's experiences and provide emotional support

The group meets
the last Thursday of each month
7:00pm to 8:30 pm
Location: Callier Center
For more information contact:
Tricia Krauss-Lehrman — triciakl@utdallas.edu
214 905 3136

Date	Subject	Flyers
May 29, 2008	Problem Solving	English	Español
Jun 26, 2008	Getting to know your stuttering	English
Jul 31, 2008	Back to School	English
Aug 28, 2008	to be determined	English

Tricks For Talking Click here for the 2008 brochure
A six week summer camp program for children and adoescents who stutter. The program is sponsored by UTD/Callier Center , the Dallas Chapter of National Stuttering Assoc. and Region X Education Service Center.

The camp includes speech therapy combined with private therapy and group therapy activities. The summer camp takes place June 9 - July 16, 2008, Monday & Wednesday Mornings 9:00 am - 12 noon on the UTD main campus.
For information about Tricks for Talking, contact:
Janice Lougeay, MA, CCC
214-905-3114

Speak Out NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE

School-aged children through highschool. Six week program for kids who stutter. Thursdays from 4:30 pm to 6:00pm.

Spring and Fall Sessions Available

For information about Speak Out contact:
972-883-3630

Talk It Up NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
10 week program for children who stutter ages 3 to 5. Thirty minute individual therapy session and one hour of group therapy. Program is setup similar to a preschool program with show and tell, cooking, calendar weather and crafts. Program is a one on one interaction and parent training is also provided.

Two sessions a year- winter and summer sessions
Tuesday and Friday mornings
9:30 am - 11:00 pm

For information about Talk It Up contact:
972.883.3630

According to the Stuttering Foundation of America (SFA), over 3 million people in the USA, or approximately 1% of the population, suffer from this disorder. Stuttering affects four times as many males as females.

The SFA emphasizes that those who stutter are as intelligent and well-adjusted as others, but they suffer a self-consciousness about their condition that often limits social and professional activities. Stuttering typically becomes a formidable problem in the teen years as dating and other social activities become increasingly important.

Despite decades of research, there is no absolute consensus regarding the causes of stuttering, but factors contributing to its development include genetics, neurophysiology, child development and family dynamics, according to the SFA.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association recently revealed progress in the genetics of stuttering. One study involving a genetically homogeneous group of Americans identified three genes that are believed to cause stuttering within these isolated populations. Studies among more diverse American populations should provide their results over the next few months.

Understanding and treatment

. Pay attention and maintain eye contact - Acknowledge the condition, and wait patiently and naturally until the person is finished speaking. Avoid a reaction that implies stuttering is embarrassing for you or the speaker.

. Refrain from remarks that attempt to finish the speaker's thoughts - Even well-intentioned statements like "slow down" or "relax" can be interpreted as demeaning and are not helpful.

. Speak slowly and easily, but not so slow as to sound unnatural or condescending. After listening, respond logically and confirm what you understood you heard the speaker convey.

A list of sample therapy goals for teens and adults includes:

. Reducing the frequency of stuttering.

. Decreasing the tension and struggle of stuttering moments.

. Working to decrease word or situation avoidances.

. Incorporating effective communication skills such as eye contact, body language and phrasing.

USA Today, 5/15/2001 by W.Reed Moran