Stuttering
- Do you stutter and need support to stutter less and communicate your thoughts without the fear of words blocking you?
- Is your child starting to stutter, and are you concerned with their repetitions?
- Has your child been stuttering for a while, and you are concerned with his overall well-being and self-esteem?
Early intervention and treatment can REDUCE stuttering and can even STOP childhood stuttering from persisting into adulthood. Research highlights the effectiveness of therapy. Stuttering therapy can improve speech fluency, build self-confidence, and help individuals in achieving their life goals. Effective Treatment will have a ripple effect on every aspect of an individual’s life.
Kyra offers stuttering therapy sessions for all ages and case severities. Her approach has helped many people all over the world.
Preschool child
Depending on the evaluation of the case, the intervention can be direct (therapy focusing on the child’s speech to help them stutter easier and/or speak more fluently) or indirect (focusing on changing the environment of the child). Indirect therapy is always my first approach, especially for mild stuttering. But, if the stuttering persists after 6 to 8 weeks, or for more severe stuttering, more direct treatment should be undertaken.
Families play a significant role in the intervention process. I will help make conversational interactions and daily routine changes. These changes and others are crucial for creating a facilitating environment where fluency can improve.
I am a Lidcombe certified professional. The Lidcombe Program is an evidence-based, behavioural therapy for early (younger than 6 years) stuttering. You can find more information about the program on https://www.lidcombeprogram.org/
School-aged child
Usually during elementary years, children start to develop negative emotions associated with speaking situations. They feel ashamed and embarrassed because they can’t get their words out “like others”. They fear words that they know they might get stuck on. They repeat words or parts of words, they block on sounds, they fill their sentences with “uh”, “like” until they finally get the word out. In most of the cases, speaking for a school-aged child is not natural and spontaneous.
My approach with this age group focuses on the person as a whole and not just on their stuttering. I believe that the child’s behaviors, negative feelings and attitudes can be unlearned and modified by a new learning.
Therapy with school-aged children will focus on understanding and exploring their own stuttering, accepting it and learning fluency skills (e.g. light contacts, easy onsets & pausing) to manage the stutters and achieve easier, smoother communication . My approach includes also liaising with the family to help them understand the nature of stuttering and support their child reach their goals through ongoing meetings and follow-up to make sure they are in-line with the therapy procedures.
Adolescents and Adults
What is interesting about adolescents and adults who stutter is their motivation and readiness to work on their speech. They willingly take the decision or accept to seek professional support and work hard to change their lives.
My evaluation starts with welcoming the client and making them feel understood and comfortable. I start interviewing the client about their stuttering and feelings and attitudes. I record a part of a speaking and reading task in addition to spontaneous speech after taking the client’s approval on that. This interview in addition to other questions and questionnaires the client is asked to fill will guide us both in setting the goals of therapy.
The stuttering treatment goals are based on the needs of the client. However, they are set to reduce the fluency of stuttering, the negative feelings, thoughts and attitudes about stuttering and speaking in general. the ultimate goal in the treatment of stuttering is for the client to communicate easily and effectively with their environment.
