“Work with the entire iceberg.”
The iceberg expression describes children’s suppression of their thoughts and feelings. We are not going to be changing fluency until we address their feelings and thoughts first. When most people discuss stuttering they are only referring to the motor movements involved in speech. When in reality, this is only the “tip of the icecberg.” Other components such as fear, shame, guilt, anxiety, hopelessness, isolation, and denial need to be address during therapy. As stated in our DVD, “Fluency problems are multifactorial. Much happens under the surface before releasing the actual moment of disruption in the speech behavior is seen or heard.”
There are many activities that the client can do to address their affective …show more content…
In this activity, the child is asked to identify their self-imposed “stop signs.” These stop signs are thoughts that the child has that makes them want to defer from engagement with others.
First, the child is asked to list speaking situations/contexts that they would give themselves a “stop sign” and choose not to join a conversation, make a statement, or answer a question in class. They are then asked to state their automatic thoughts regarding the situation and why he/she feels they cannot participate verbally. For example, this could be: “they won’t want to listen to me because I stutter.” Finally, the client is asked to think of possible “thinking errors.” This means having the client state things like, “they are my friends and they already know I stutter and won’t care that I do.”
Through this activity you are building the child’s confidence. This list of “thinking errors” is a great reference to show the child that they often think the situation will be worse than what it actually will be. By doing this, we will hopefully have the child increase their engagement with others and feel more comfortable and confident in speaking …show more content…
The client is asked to methodically plan out a procedure and utilize a stuttering modification or fluency shaping technique. The client, using various tools, will demonstrate the behavior component of stuttering. This activity is a four step process for the client. They are first asked to plan their assignment, then observe thoughts, open up, and finally let go of negative feelings.
When the client is asked to plan their activity they will also need to consider their hierarchy of fear and their willingness to take risk. As an example, this would involve the child stating that they are going to voluntary stutter during a conversation with a friend. Once they have their plan they are going to observe their thoughts they have about voluntarily stuttering. Then the client will take those thoughts and open up to them. They will allow those feelings in and accept them. Finally, the client will let go of the sense of control and reduce all tension and perform their
The iceberg expression describes children’s suppression of their thoughts and feelings. We are not going to be changing fluency until we address their feelings and thoughts first. When most people discuss stuttering they are only referring to the motor movements involved in speech. When in reality, this is only the “tip of the icecberg.” Other components such as fear, shame, guilt, anxiety, hopelessness, isolation, and denial need to be address during therapy. As stated in our DVD, “Fluency problems are multifactorial. Much happens under the surface before releasing the actual moment of disruption in the speech behavior is seen or heard.”
There are many activities that the client can do to address their affective …show more content…
In this activity, the child is asked to identify their self-imposed “stop signs.” These stop signs are thoughts that the child has that makes them want to defer from engagement with others.
First, the child is asked to list speaking situations/contexts that they would give themselves a “stop sign” and choose not to join a conversation, make a statement, or answer a question in class. They are then asked to state their automatic thoughts regarding the situation and why he/she feels they cannot participate verbally. For example, this could be: “they won’t want to listen to me because I stutter.” Finally, the client is asked to think of possible “thinking errors.” This means having the client state things like, “they are my friends and they already know I stutter and won’t care that I do.”
Through this activity you are building the child’s confidence. This list of “thinking errors” is a great reference to show the child that they often think the situation will be worse than what it actually will be. By doing this, we will hopefully have the child increase their engagement with others and feel more comfortable and confident in speaking …show more content…
The client is asked to methodically plan out a procedure and utilize a stuttering modification or fluency shaping technique. The client, using various tools, will demonstrate the behavior component of stuttering. This activity is a four step process for the client. They are first asked to plan their assignment, then observe thoughts, open up, and finally let go of negative feelings.
When the client is asked to plan their activity they will also need to consider their hierarchy of fear and their willingness to take risk. As an example, this would involve the child stating that they are going to voluntary stutter during a conversation with a friend. Once they have their plan they are going to observe their thoughts they have about voluntarily stuttering. Then the client will take those thoughts and open up to them. They will allow those feelings in and accept them. Finally, the client will let go of the sense of control and reduce all tension and perform their