An Integrative Approach In Treating Stuttering

...Generating Fluent Speech

There are several speech therapies aimed at controlling or eliminating stuttering. These therapies vary from what kind of program fits the characteristic of the patient.

One of these therapies is called generating fluent speech. A comprehensive speech processing approach that aims to guide people who stutter to develop a speech processing similar with normal fluent speakers. Developed by Barbara Dahm, it is a therapeutic program for stuttering developed at Communication Therapy Institute in Israel. This has been developed from her several years of experience with people who stutter.

Established in 1987, Communication Therapy Institute is a private clinic specializing in the treatment of stuttering. Barbara Dahm, M.Ed is a speech pathologist who founded and currently heads CTI Communication Therapy Institute.

This program is based on the premised that stutterers use processes for the production speech different from the normal fluent speakers. Thus, the program includes steps in which stutterers relearn the speech production process. Exercises include learning to vibrate their vocal folds in an effortless manner, thus training them to monitor words and speech sounds.

The program’s exercises aid the stutterers to focus their attention away from the activity. This results to simplified language development process and as such becomes subconscious. Stutterers also learn an uncontrolled speech muscles and makes articulation an automatic process at a rapid rate. It also aimed at making the patients fully understand their speech production system so that they can self-correct their errors. After this program, patients are expected to be confident speakers whatever situations they may face.

The exercises are not intended to teach fluency but train the stutterers to detach from the result of the activity of speaking. Eventually, repetitive and religiously done activities will result to a proficient act of speaking. The goals of learning conscious effort, artificial monitoring speech, and subconscious controls will make stutterers speak effortlessly.

The therapy program is divided into two stages. Children from age 10 and adults will undergo approximately 90 hours of intensive therapy for stage 1. Stage 2 will consist of six months self-help therapy. However, during these times, clinicians will be available depending on the patient’s needs.

Children below age 10 have a different set of stages. Stage 1 comprises a regular scheduled individual therapy sessions until the patient is able to produce speech easily and correctly in conversation and oral reading. Stage 2 consists of shorter and less frequent therapy sessions with self-help and family assisted home therapy.

Results have shown that people learn the process within the three-week period of the first stage. Some patients also testified that through this program, they were able to understand their difficulty in speaking. The program aided them for making self-improvements in their ability to speak fluently.

The research study showed that Generating Fluent Speech is an effective therapeutic program. The results showed that patients developed a stronger sense of self-confidence and relaxing body mechanisms when speaking.

Recently, the findings of latest researches indicated that Generating Fluent Speech is most utilized therapeutic approach in treating several stuttering cases.