Changing Attitudes in Children and Teens Who Stutter, by Diane Games

The article I read was called Changing Attitudes in Children and Teens Who Stutter, by Diane Games. This article aimed to make the reader understand that working on attitudes and feelings with children and teens who stutter is a crucial part of therapy. It provided the following steps to doing so:

1. Learning vocabulary to describe stuttering, the speech process and techniques to modify rate and tension
2. Learn to analyze and problem solve approaches to various speaking situations
3. Understand the impact of negative thinking on attitudes while speaking in difficult situations; transfer negative thoughts into positive ones
4. Tell your story! Read stories of other children/teens!
5. Meet other people who stutter!

Mrs. Games describes activities and procedures that help children gain control over their stuttering, such as creating PowerPoint presentations where they can share their information with others. The students who work with Mrs. Games are encouraged to bring in positive thoughts and feelings associated with their stuttering and in communication in general. This is in direct correlation to what we’ve learned class. It is based upon the idea that the more comfortable a person who stutters is with their stuttering, the less tension they will have in conversation therefore decreasing their stuttering. One thing Games suggests is that tension makes it harder for the child to use the strategies they learn in therapy. This seemed to me like a great way to explain to children how anxiety can affect their speech. She also says if there is tension, it “Makes avoiding seem like a good idea!”(Games, 2009). She seems very skilled at knowing how to communicate with children and teens on a level that they will understand and benefit from. In discussing with children ways to improve their speech, Mrs. Games includes a PowerPoint slide with a picture of a magician saying “Call a magician?”, which is a fun way to get the message across that it is the children who have control over changing their communication.

When I wrote to Mrs. Games, I asked her whether she uses the PowerPoint activity with a group or in individual sessions and how the final product is presented. I also asked her what she would do if a child was resistant to meeting other children who stuttered, and continually refused this. She began her response with this: “Melissa..first of all, I spent a lot of time at St. Rose with my dear friends Sr. Char Bloom and Donna Cooperman! You have a wonderful program.” She continued on to say that the PowerPoints are usually used in individual treatment sessions so no one is influenced by others, and that it is the students’ option to share. She said if they are resistant, at least we have opened the door for communication. Some children may simply not be ready to take this step even though we think it is right for them.

In conclusion, attitudes and feelings should be a main focus in stuttering therapy with children and teens. Mrs. Games introduces and exciting teaching tool to use in therapy that can help children gain control over their speech. I would recommend anything Diane games writes as it seems she has the same philosophy as our program does in working with clients. This article was interesting and gave me some great ideas for therapy.