For those who have a stutter, everyday interactions can be difficult, which is often frustrating. Stuttering modification therapy is a treatment option that helps people who stutter cope with these difficulties by teaching techniques that help them stutter “more easily.” It is theorized that by recognizing the stuttering and working with it, tension can be removed from speaking situations. Speech therapists teach techniques to control stuttering and even stutter on purpose.
Strategies:
One strategy used in stuttering modification therapy is voluntary stuttering, in which the person who stutters is instructed to stutter on purpose. This helps relieve some tension and negative feelings that may arise while a person finds themselves stuttering unexpectedly. The goal is to desensitize the person to these situations so they do not get overwhelmed when they occur.
Another strategy used in stuttering modification therapy is bouncing. The person is instructed to repeat the syllable at the beginning of a word before saying the full word, such as saying “tay-tay-table” rather than just the first letter sound, “t-t-table.” With time, this helps those who stutter slide more naturally into words without stutters.
Cancellation is a strategy that requires the person to pause following a moment of disfluency. It produces a less tense and more forward-moving disfluency. When the person pauses, it helps them identify where the tension is occurring, whether it be the mouth, tongue, jaw, etc. so they can work on releasing it.
Is Stuttering Modification Right For You?
Talking to a speech therapist is the best way to get help for stuttering. They may suggest a mix of fluency-enhancing techniques as well as stuttering modification therapies, which can help people accept their stutter.
SpeechEasy
SpeechEasy is a combination of proven technology and techniques which can be used to reduce stuttering. Worn in one ear and similar in appearance to a hearing aid, SpeechEasy has helped thousands increase their ability to communicate effectively and confidently. The program that comes with every SpeechEasy is supported by a team of fluency professionals who truly care about your success. Contact us today!
