| Speech Therapy: An Overview On Fluency | | | | his speech can't be comprehended. The thing is, a |
| Disorders | | | | clutterer isn't aware that he is cluttering, while a |
| One of the main categories of speech problems in | | | | stutterer is very much aware that he stutters. |
| need for speech therapy are fluency disorders. | | | | Speech Therapy Assessment Tips For Fluency |
| However, there are different types of fluency | | | | Disorders |
| disorders, even though they may all seem the | | | | During the assessment of an individual with |
| same. Each type has its own cause, and defining | | | | suspected fluency disorder, there are some things |
| characteristics that make them stand out from | | | | to remember to make the assessment more |
| one another. | | | | comprehensive and useful. Here are some of |
| There are basically six main types of fluency | | | | those critical points to take note of during |
| disorders, while some are considered to be other | | | | assessment. |
| conditions that are related to fluency disorders. | | | | Benefits Of Obtaining Both Reading and |
| Normal Developmental Disfluency | | | | Conversation Sample |
| Normal developmental disfluency, is a fluency | | | | It is more beneficial to obtain both reading and |
| disorder that is a lot of times mistaken to be | | | | conversation sample from school children and |
| stuttering. This condition occurs with children from | | | | adults because this would give more reliability and |
| ages 1:6- 6 years old, although the peak of the | | | | credibility to the samples taken. |
| condition is considered to be 2-4 years of age. | | | | Since stuttering varies in different situations, a |
| A lot of parents may be concerned of the way | | | | reading and conversation sample would allow the |
| their child speaks, but in reality, this is a normal | | | | clinician to see the behaviors of the person in two |
| condition that every child goes through. Normal | | | | different tasks. A conversational speech sample is |
| developmental disfluency is a normal part of a | | | | likely to have more variability, while a reading |
| child's development. So there is really no need to | | | | passage would likely have less variability. |
| worry at all. | | | | Information To Assess Motivation |
| A child would normally get over this stage as his | | | | Through interview, a therapist can learn a lot |
| speech skills develop. However, a proper | | | | from his client. In fact, insight about the client's |
| environment, and interaction is needed for that to | | | | motivation could be seen by asking the following |
| happen. If a child is pressured by his parents or | | | | questions like "What do you believe caused you |
| people around him about his speech, the higher | | | | to stutter?", "Has you stuttering changed or |
| the probability that his disfluency would become a | | | | caused you more problems recently?, "Why did |
| problem in the future and could develop to | | | | you come in for help at the present time?", " Are |
| stuttering. | | | | there times or situations when you stutter more? |
| Stuttering | | | | Less? What are they?". |
| Stuttering is a disorder of childhood | | | | Benefits Of Continuing Evaluation |
| (developmental) that is characterized by an | | | | No individual could be understood in an hour or |
| abnormally high frequency or duration of | | | | two; that's why continuing of evaluation is |
| stoppages in the forward flow of speech. | | | | recommended. The clinician might overlook an |
| Although normal developmental disfluency has its | | | | important element at times and some times a |
| own share of stoppages, stuttering on the other | | | | vital clue will not be present in the samples of |
| hand has some extra characteristics that normal | | | | behavior taken from the limited time of the |
| developmental disfluency doesn't have. | | | | evaluation period. |
| What makes stuttering different, from normal | | | | Note The Difference When Assessing Feelings and |
| developmental disfluency, is that stuttering has | | | | Attitudes |
| escape behaviors, avoidance behaviors, and other | | | | Assessing a school-age child's feelings and |
| secondary behaviors. These so called behaviors | | | | attitudes would require the clinician to establish |
| are also called physical concomitants. Some | | | | rapport and to get to know the child much better |
| examples are eye blinks, head nods, jaw tremors | | | | after some time, because the clinician's judgment |
| and total body gyrations. | | | | is also a fair measurement in the case of |
| Neurogenic Disfluency | | | | school-age children. |
| This kind of disfluency is a result of an identifiable | | | | Talking to the child and observing his behaviors |
| neuropathology in a person that has no history of | | | | would be necessary. When the clinician has known |
| fluency problems prior to occurrence of the | | | | the child much better, he could administer the |
| pathology. People who have accidents that caused | | | | A-19 Scale to the child. Other methods could also |
| brain problems, which induced their disfluency, fall | | | | be used such as "Worry Ladder" and "Hands |
| into this category. | | | | Down" that could be found in the workbook, The |
| Neurogenic disfluency has similar characteristics as | | | | School-Age Child Who Stutters: Working |
| stuttering, including the physical behaviors like eye | | | | Effectively with Attitudes and Emotions. |
| blinks and tremors. The thing is that, the main | | | | For adults and adolescents assessment of feelings |
| problem in conditions like these is not fluency at | | | | and attitudes are usually done by administering |
| all, but the lesser control of muscles needed in | | | | tools such as, the Modified Erickson Scale of |
| speech production. | | | | Communication Attitudes, the Stutterer's |
| Psychogenic Disfluency | | | | Self-Rating of Reactions to Speech Situations, the |
| A disfluency with no found evidence of | | | | Perceptions of Stuttering Inventory and the Locus |
| neurological dysfunction and no history of | | | | of Control of Behavior Scale. |
| developmental stuttering. It is of sudden onset | | | | Remember The Role Of The IEP Team |
| and attributed to an identifiable emotional crisis. | | | | An Individualized Education Program (IEP) team is |
| Can be grouped into three categories namely: | | | | appointed to a child to be the ones to consider |
| emotionally based, manipulative, and malingering | | | | reports by the clinician and other information. |
| disfluencies | | | | They decide if the child meets the state's eligibility |
| An example of this kind of disfluency is when a | | | | standards and if the child's stuttering has a |
| person starts to stutter when a specific other is | | | | negative effect on his education. |
| around. For instance, a student who is afraid of | | | | If a child is eligible for services measurable, the |
| her teacher, starts to stutter every time her | | | | IEP team sets goals and short-term objectives |
| teacher is around but speaks fluently when | | | | for the child. They also provide services needed |
| around her friends and family. | | | | by the child for improvement in the educational |
| Language Bases Disfluency | | | | setting. |
| This is a disfluency that is attributed to the | | | | Goals Of Trial Therapy |
| development of linguistic sophistication. The main | | | | Trial therapy for a school-age child is done to |
| root of the problem here would be language | | | | understand what approach might work and what |
| problems, which would require language based | | | | might be difficult for him. This could increase the |
| therapy rather than fluency-based therapy. | | | | child's motivation and positive outlook for the |
| Mixed Fluency Failures | | | | treatment. In the case of adults and adolescents, |
| These are fluency failures that are characterized | | | | trial therapy is done for 3 main reasons. |
| by overlapping causative factors. Speech pattern | | | | First, is to get an idea of how a client would |
| observed is the result of a blend of two or more | | | | respond to different therapy approaches. Second, |
| factors/disfluency. | | | | is to make a differential diagnosis between |
| Cluttering | | | | developmental, neurological or psychological |
| This is a condition that is related to fluency | | | | stuttering. Third, it gives a preview to the client of |
| disorders. It is considered to be the extreme of | | | | what to expect during therapy sessions, in effect |
| stuttering. It is a disorder of timing and rhythm of | | | | it would give them motivation to go on their |
| speech where the person speaks too fast that | | | | treatment. |