Glossary

Useful stammering terms

Avoidance behaviours: many people who stammer avoid stammering because they don't want other people to know about their problem. Avoidance of stammering can take many different forms including changing words, keeping quiet or avoiding situations altogether. Avoidance is an understandable coping strategy that may afford temporary relief; however in the long-term it increases the fear of stammering.

Avoidance reduction: this is an important part of therapy which comes under the 'stammer more fluently' approach. As already mentioned, many people who stutter avoid stuttering openly which builds up the fear of stuttering. By gradually reducing avoidance behaviours (such as going for the word you want to say rather than choosing a different word), the fear of stammering is greatly reduced and it's much easier to manage moments of stammering. You set your own goals throughout this process.

Block modification: this refers to a type of therapy devised primarily by the speech and language therapist Charles Van Riper, and is described as a 'stammer more fluently' approach. The two main goals of block modification are to help someone become more open about stammering and to help them to manage their stammer more easily. At City Lit we use this type of approach both on our evening courses for people who stutter and on some of our day-time courses for people who stutter.

Cognitive therapy: this is about becoming aware of how our thoughts, feelings, physical responses and behaviours are all interlinked and how negative thoughts can be unhelpful when it comes to making changes. We can learn to challenge negative thoughts so that change becomes easier.

Covert/interiorised stammering: someone with this type of stammering is likely to have a high level of natural fluency, may use many avoidance behaviours to conceal the fact they stammer and are often highly sensitive about their stammer. City Lit is unique in offering specialised courses for people with interiorised stammering.

Desensitisation: this is about reducing negative feelings about stammering. Most adults who stutter are sensitive about stuttering and this sensitivity can make it difficult to make changes. Desensitisation is a very important part of therapy where you?ll have the opportunity to explore and discuss negative thoughts and attitudes towards stammering and to become more open about stammering through carefully graded exercises.

Integrated approach: this is a type of therapy which combines both the speak and stammer more fluently approaches. For example at City Lit our course 'Stammering therapy: an integrated approach' covers work on block modification as well as teaching a fluency technique, vocal fold management.

Interiorised stammering - see covert/interiorised stammering.

Mindfulness meditation: mindfulness is about developing the ability to pay attention to our experience in a deliberate way in the present moment without judgement. Many people who stammer identify lack of acceptance as being a problem for them. Mindfulness can help us to increase our acceptance, not in a resigned or helpless way but in a way that helps us to work more effectively with difficulties. Working on developing mindfulness also helps us to develop our awareness and concentration, and this may help people who stammer to make better use of speech therapy techniques in everyday life.

Overt stammering: this refers to the physical symptoms of stammering obvious to the listener. When someone is stammering overtly, they might be repeating sounds or words, blocking on words or prolonging certain sounds.

'Speak more fluently': this describes a range of methods designed to help people who stammer to speak more fluently. These methods are also known as 'fluency shaping' and deal essentially with the physical side of speaking. They focus on helping someone who stutters to retrain their speech and vocal muscles to move more smoothly and easily. Vocal fold management, a technique we teach at City Lit, is an example of a 'speak more fluently' method.

'Stammer more fluently': this describes ways in which a person who stammers can modify both their stammer and the associated negative feelings and attitudes, and to reduce the amount of avoidance strategies.

Vocal fold management: this is an example of a fluency shaping technique and is used on our intensive day-time course 'Stammering therapy: an integrated approach'. Many experts believe that the core of the stammering block is at the level of the vocal folds (strips of muscle in your throat which are responsible for producing voice). Vocal fold management is about re-training the muscles involved in speech: by learning to co-ordinate smoothly your breathing, voicing and articulation, you will be able to speak more fluently.

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Speech therapy

Tel: 020 7492 2578

speechtherapy@citylit.ac.uk

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