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Email Exchange:

To:  RichardsonSLP@aol.com

From:  RobertsA@aol.com

Subject:  Questions about clinic

September 15, 2005:

Mrs. Richardson,

My name is Anne Roberts.  I am writing to get more information on the Speech and Hearing Clinic.  I have been concerned about my child Cindy's speech.  I was refered to you by Cindy's 1st grade teacher at Meadows Elementary School.  She mentioned your facility as an excellent place to take my daughter Cindy to receive speech therapy.  My daughter Cindy seems to have a stuttering problem.  It hasn't seemed to affect her emotionally or socially until this school year.  She has been tested at her school in Cabell County by the Speech language pathologist, however it doesn't seem to be going anywhere, so I am wanting to turn to your services for more help.  I was wondering if your clinic takes new clients on a regular basis and if so how to go about getting help.  Please email me to inform me of the services offered at your highly recommended clinic.  You can contact me via email at RobertsA@aol.com or on the telephone at 304-555-5555.  I am excited to hear from you and hopefully get my daughter Cindy into some sort of therapy. 

Thanks, Anne Roberts

To:  RobertsA@aol.com

From:  RichardsonSLP@aol.com

Subject:  Re:Question about Clinic

September 16, 2005:

Dear Mrs. Roberts,

I received your email concerning your child Cindy's stuttering problem.  I was glad to hear about your referral.  I am happy to say we do take new clients throughout the school year.  We would be more than happy to evaluate your daughter Cindy.  From that point we can discuss further steps to take pertaining to Cindy's stuttering problem.  If you would like to stop by the clinic anytime next week to fill out a case history form (background information on Cindy) feel free.   By filling this out it will provide us with information regarding Cindy's development, speech, and emotional aspects.  Once the paper work is filled out Cindy will receive an evaluation.  After the evaluation, if the clinician finds her stuttering to be a problem we can discuss therapy options.  Our clinic is located on Main Street in the hospital, on the third floor.  Please feel free to stop by my office anytime on the third floor room 320.  Can't wait to meet both you and your daughter!

Sincerly, Mary Richardson

April 15, 2006:

Dear Mrs.  Richardson,

Thank you soo much for providing my daughter with such wonderful speech therpy services.  I can't express to you how much your therapy has already helped my daughter Cindy.  She is now beginning to feel more comfortable speaking in public and around strangers.  She shows much less anxiety about stuttering in front of others.  Her confidence level has tripled in the past few months alone.  The services provided by your Speech and Hearing clinic have  honestly been a life changing experience for both Cindy and our family.  The compensatory techniques you taught Cindy have helped immensely to make Cindy's speech more fluent. She can now help control her speech by applying these helpful techniques.  Once again I can't express to you how much the services offered at your clinic have helped my daughter to communicate amoung her peers and live a more normal life. 

Thanks again,

Anne Roberts

Journal Entry

October 5, 2005: 

Today was no different than any other day, I still heard the constant laughs and whispers whenever I tried to speak in class.  I feel so stupid whenever it happens.  I can only explain to my friends by relating it to my favorite movie Mean Girls which uses the phrase its like "word vomit".  I compare it to this because the sounds just keep coming out of my mouth uncontrollably.  I can't wait to go to speech therapy tomorrow.  I love my speech teacher she makes me feel comfortable to talk.  She understands my disorder.  I wish she could be there with me tomorrow when I have to recite my poem.  I got it perfect when I recited it to my mother and speech teacher but I know I will stutter in front of the class tomorrow.  I'll be writing tomorrow to inform you of how my day went. 

October 6, 2005:

Well let me start out by telling you there is nothing I wanted more earlier than this day to come to an end.  It had to be one of the most humiliating days of my life.  It started when I woke up this morning I immediatly thought of the dreadful moment to come of reciting my poem to the class.  The anxiety began before my feet hit the floor.  I got to class and listened to others recite their poems flawlessly.  It finally came my turn, I took a deep breath and began to produce the first sound, but nothing came out.  My speech teacher calls moments like these silent blocks and let me tell you this block lasted what seemed an enternity.  Throughout the entire poem I stumbled on words and paused for several seconds.  Those had to be the most horrifing 15 minutes of my life.  It's days like these I begin to feel defeated or discouraged from success.  I don't think anything can help me.  All of those precious and frustrating moments in speech therapy and nothing to show for them.  I wish more than anything I could control the words that come out of my mouth.  Nobody knows the struggles I face on a daily basis.

I am

I am a shy child that stutters

I wonder how long it will last

I hear whispers and gigles from others 

I see others starring in anticipation as I stubble over my words

I want to learn how to speak more clearly

I am a shy child that stutters

 

I pretend I am alone when I speak 

I feel frustrated and embarrassed

I touch my mouth to stop the repetitions

I worry what others are thinking

I cry to God "Why Me?"

I am a shy child that stutters

 

I understand why others stare

I say its not my fault

I dream of speaking more clearly

I try to pretend I don't care

I hope I overcome this disorder

I am a shy child that stutters

Essential Question: What treatment strategies are commonly used to aid school-aged children who stutter in gaining control over thier fluency?

Foundation Questions:

1.  What is stuttering?

2.  What do we know about the affect of stuttering on school-aged children?  Comunicative?  Emotional/Social?

 

Tenative Point:  During my research on stuttering there are many different concepts I want to address:  What is stuttering, different types of stuttering, describe the different types of treatment techniques, and to discuss how it interferes with the individual's life. 

 

Genre 1:  Webliography

Voice:  Clinician

Audience:  General Public

Rationale:  The main intent of the webilography is to inform the public the interests of the clinician. 

Genre 2:  Poem

Voice:  Client

Audience:  Clinician and Family

Rationale:  The poem will allow the client to express her feelings and everyday struggles due to stuttering.   

Genre 3:  Pamphlet

Voice:  Clinician

Audience:  General Public, Client, and Client's Family

Rationale:  The pamphlet with provide informative facts and tips to indivduals who stutter.  It will also give information on support availible for stutters.

Genre 4:  Powerpoint Presentation

Voice:  Clinician

Audience:  Client and Family of Client

Rationale:  The powerpoint presentation will allow the client and family to view informative slides regarding information on stuttering.  It will allow the clinician to present the information in a organized manner.

Genre 5:  Interview

Voice:  Clinician

Audience:  Mother of client

Rationale:  The interview will serve as a way for the clinician to get to know a little bit more about the client by asking the mother of the client specific questions.  It will also allow to mother of the client and the clinician to establish good rapport. 

Genre 6:  Jouranl Entries (2 entries)

Voice:  Client

Audience:  Clinician and mother of client

Rationale:  The client will describe what she goes through on a daily basis as a result of her stuttering problem.   

Genre 7:  Email Exchange ( 3 messages)

Voice:  Client's Mother

Audience:  Clinician

Rationale:  The email exchange will allow the client's mother to communicate with the clinician by asking questions outside of the therapy setting.  The mother will be able to inform the clinician of progress at home and ask her questions that may arise. 

Anticipated Integration of the Genres:

By using all of the different genres, I will be able to convey a clear understanding to the client, family, and public of what stuttering is and the struggles faced by those individuals that stutter.  Both the pamphlet and powerpoint presentation will inform both the client and the family on the topic.  The journals and poems will let the client express their feelings on stuttering through writing.  The email exchange will let the clinician and mother of the client communicate outside of the therpy setting.  The interview will allow the mother and clinicain to get to know each other a little better as well as provide the clinician with helpful information about the client.

Tenative References:

Blocks, S., Dacakis, G., Gray, B., & Packman, A.  (2005).  Treatment of chronic stuttering:  outcomes from a standard training clinic.  International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 40, 455-466.  Retrieved October 5, 2005, from the MEDLINE database.

Gebski, V., Jones, M., Onslow, M., Ormond, T., Packman, A., Schwarz, I., & Williams, S. (2005).  Randomised controlled trial of the Lidcombe programme of early stuttering intervention.  British Medical Journal, 331, 659-660.  Retrieved October 5, 2005, from the MEDLINE database.

Dayalu, V.N., Guntupalli, V., Kalinowski, J., & Saltuklaroglu, T.  (2005).  Is it possible for speech therapy to improve upon natural recovery rates in children who stutter?  International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 40, 349-358.  Retrieved October 6, 2005, from the MEDLINE database.

Ferguson, A., Onslow, M., Packman, A., & Spencer, E.  (2005).  A preliminary investigation of the impact of stuttering on language use.  Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 19(3), 191-201.    Retrieved October 6, 2005, from the PsycINFO database.

Smits-Bandstra, S.M. & Yovetich, W.S.  (2003).  Treatment effectiveness for school age children who stutter.  Journal of Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology, 27(2), 125-133.  Retrieved October 6, 2005, from the PsycINFO database.