| To find the best possible stuttering treatment | | | | not often come to someone for months with this |
| available, I conducted numerous experiments with | | | | tool. Why would you want use something that is |
| my own stuttering. You and I will conduct one | | | | nearly impossible to master? |
| simple experiment together a little bit later. As I | | | | I believe Alexander technique has one major flaw |
| mentioned in different sections of this site, your | | | | when it comes to stammering. I am convinced |
| self-therapy fails to work because it does not deal | | | | stammering is not a habit. However, there are |
| with various secondary symptoms of this | | | | many people who will disagree with me. They will |
| disorder. This is only one of two reasons. The | | | | state the stammerer blocks in a habitual way. In |
| second reason is every speech therapy creates | | | | another words, a person's jaw, lips, and tongue |
| an "artificial environment." In another words, you | | | | move to exactly the same location during his |
| are able to apply all speech techniques perfectly | | | | speech block. Thus, his disfluency is purely habitual. |
| only in your speech therapist's office. However, | | | | This, by the way, will explain why a person who |
| you do not have that much success in applying | | | | stutters has trouble pronouncing the same sounds |
| the same techniques once you step in a "real | | | | or gets stuck in the same word places. I believe, |
| world." The main reason is because your | | | | however, stammering is a lot more complicated |
| secondary symptoms of stuttering are kept to a | | | | than being a habit. |
| minimum in a controlled setting, such as your | | | | During those early stages, his theories met stiff |
| speech therapist's office. However, they all "show | | | | resistance from scientific community. After all, Mr. |
| up" once you deal with real situations and people. | | | | Alexander could take any serious illness and could |
| It is time to conduct one experiment together. | | | | claim it was made of several wrong habits. He |
| The goal is to check the intensity of secondary | | | | seemed to imply by making this statement a |
| symptoms of stuttering on your level of fluency. | | | | person could get rid of any illness if he would |
| If you are relatively healthy, let's do some aerobic | | | | simply learn how not to engage in his wrong |
| exercise for about twenty minutes or so. Aerobic | | | | habits. He did remember to state that it sounded |
| exercise can include exercising on your treadmill, | | | | easy. In reality, it could be the most difficult thing |
| your bike or running. Once we are done with | | | | for a person to do. |
| aerobics, we will enter some speaking situation. It | | | | I do not believe when a person blocks on some |
| can be any speaking situation in which you know | | | | word or has trouble pronouncing some sounds, his |
| you will stutter. I know you will find you will | | | | speech mechanism always operates in the same |
| stutter a lot less after your aerobic session than | | | | way during these disfluencies. If you notice, your |
| you will stutter without it. Please note it is not a | | | | tongue might go slighly more upward or |
| stuttering treatment in itself, but it can be easily | | | | downward during your present speech difficulty |
| incorporated in one if you want to. | | | | than it did during the one before. Your lips might |
| If you have done aerobic exercises as I | | | | take a different shape too. |
| instructed you to do, you now find it is much | | | | However, I do know all secondary symptoms of |
| easier to enter some speaking situation that you | | | | stuttering, such as anxiety and fear of speaking |
| previously were scared to enter. You will find | | | | are habitual in nature. Think about it for one |
| even if you stutter, you simply will not care much. | | | | minute. You are conditioned to react in a certain |
| Overall, you will be speaking a lot more fluently | | | | way to "difficult" speech situations. It is your |
| than you did before. You might even begin | | | | conditioned response that tells you need to avoid |
| thinking about how to incorporate aerobic | | | | this "danger" of entering this speaking situation at |
| exercises in your stuttering treatment. | | | | all costs. Bad things occurred in the past when |
| A few years ago, my friend suggested that I | | | | you tried to talk under similar circumstances. |
| read one old book that is called The Use of the | | | | Therefore, bad things are likely to occur now. You |
| Self." This friend knew that I was interested in | | | | need to run away. Mr. Alexander considered those |
| reading books about stuttering and various | | | | conditioned responses to be your wrong habits. |
| anxiety disorders. I reluctantly agreed to read it. It | | | | How does this technique relate to what we are |
| was hard to get this book because there were no | | | | doing here? Physical exercise has this inhibiting |
| new editions of this book. F.M. Alexander was the | | | | effect on your "wrong" habits. This effect is |
| author of it. He is a father of a very popular | | | | rather temporary in this instance. Nevertheless, it |
| Alexander Technique. I will not go into lengthy | | | | is still an effect. By the way, I do not believe that |
| explanation of what this technique is. I will | | | | stuttering is a habit. However, your certain |
| probably write a few sections about it on this site. | | | | reactions to different situations can be considered |
| For now, please note that Alexander offered a | | | | to be wrong habits. |
| unique stuttering treatment method. | | | | Let's come back to analyzing our experiment |
| He believed that every disorder consists of the | | | | again. Aerobic exercise has a calming effect on a |
| wrong habit or habits that a person develops | | | | person. Some aerobic exercises, such as |
| over the years. Observing how a person uses his | | | | kickboxing, have a great effect on one's |
| muscles, how he walks, where his tension | | | | confidence. Besides, physical exercises have a |
| originates, and how he talks was absolutely crucial | | | | direct effect on muscle relaxation. Secondary |
| in finding out what this person needs to do to | | | | symptoms of stuttering like your fear of |
| change these wrong habits. By changing the | | | | speaking, anxiety, muscle tension and panic |
| wrong habits and replacing them with the right | | | | attacks are greatly minimized during and after |
| habits, F.M. Alexander believed one could "cure" | | | | these exercises. I bet you even adopted a |
| any disorder, including stuttering. | | | | care-free attitude in the process. |
| The main goal of this technique was inhibiting the | | | | What am I suggesting here? Should you adopt |
| wrong habits of a person. The sufferer was | | | | some exercise routine to start speaking more |
| instructed to be extremely aware of his old habits | | | | fluently? Absolutely not... However, you should do |
| that were wrong. Once this person was aware of | | | | physical exercises for a sole purpose of |
| them, he had to do everything he could possibly | | | | preserving health. I also believe physical exercise |
| do to make sure that he was not to engage in | | | | can be incorporated as a part of any stuttering |
| these old habits again. Needless to say, many | | | | treatment. There are, of course, easier ways to |
| people had struggled with changing these wrong | | | | get more fluency. You can use various psychiatric |
| habits for months and even years. | | | | medications in combination to deal with secondary |
| Although this stuttering treatment has gained | | | | symptoms of stuttering. These medications have |
| popularity before, it is not very practical for one | | | | severe side effects. You can also use alternative |
| main reason. We do not have years to master it. | | | | medicine remedies in combination. These remedies |
| This fact alone makes it almost impossible to use | | | | are virtually free from side effects. By the way, |
| it. We often need some tool that will work for us | | | | will you get rid of all stuttering if you eliminate |
| immediately. Alexander technique is not one of | | | | secondary symptoms of stuttering? Although |
| those tools. Also, it often requires assistance from | | | | your fluency has improved significantly, you still will |
| other people. It is very hard to detect all your | | | | need to deal with the primary symptom of |
| "wrong" behaviors when you are engaged in them. | | | | stuttering that is your speech block. Natural |
| We need someone to observe us. In addition, it | | | | remedies that are discussed in my program can |
| needs to be pointed out that the progress does | | | | offer much assistance in that regard. |