- Male in his late twenties with a moderate stuttering disorder who wanted to speak fluently at his wedding
- Duration: 6 months (twenty-four sessions)
- Approaches used: easy onsets, stretching, little H, reduced rate of speech, diaphragmatic breathing, CBT counseling, motivational interviewing and acceptance therapy
Therapy for Stuttering
Outcomes:
- Through video footage of the wedding speech it was clearly demonstrated that the client controlled his stuttering to the level of normal fluency
- Reduction in severity of stuttering disorder over six months following therapy
Henry approached Well Said: Toronto Speech Clinic with the motivation to improve his fluency. He attended speech therapy in the past, but found the experience overly juvenile and he was hoping for a better experience with Well Said. Henry also had a specific target in mind for his fluency: he wanted to speak fluently at his wedding.
An assessment of Henry’s speech determined that at baseline Henry had a moderate stuttering disorder characterized by intermittent sound, syllable and word repetitions, prolongations, and 1-2 second blocks.
Through systematic training of a reduced rate of speech, fluency facilitating tools, and counseling around the negative emotions associated with stuttering, Henry went on to give a brilliant wedding speech.
After his wedding, Henry continued with monthly check-in appointments for four months where we troubleshoot his “worse stuttering days.” As a target, we empowered Henry to control his fluency through self-reflection, careful analysis, and education.
*Names changed for confidentiality.
