Program offers help for stuttering

Dec 10 2007

Stuttering is a debilitating condition that can change the course of people's lives. "When I thought about career options, I would think, well, I'd like to do this, but I can't because of my speech so I'll have to do something else," said Jacob, a science student at UTS. "In social situations, I wouldn't introduce myself."

Jacob's recurring childhood stutter has been treated successfully at week-long intensive programs for adults offered by the University's Australian Stuttering Research Centre. The programs run twice a year during the university breaks, and are run by speech pathology students at the Cumberland campus.

Associate Professor Michelle Lincoln, head of speech pathology in the Faculty of Health Sciences, explained: "Effective early intervention for stuttering has only been widely available for about 15 years, and anyone over about 25 is unlikely to have had experience with successful treatment as a child."

The Smooth Speech Intensive Program uses a technique called prolonged speech, where words are stretched out at a very slow rate. Participants then increase their speech rate systematically through programmed instruction.

Jacob did the course in June last year. "I was looking for a long term solution to help me with my speech. When I was younger I did go through different periods of seeing a speech pathologist, then my stutter would get better for six months. But I felt it was just a patch job.

"If I was talking to my family or a good friend it was undetectable, but if I had to do a speech at uni, it became a lot worse.

"The good thing about the intensive program is that they give you tools to help you," said Jacob.

Professor Lincoln added: "We have had people ranging in age from 18 to 72 - it is never too late to seek treatment."

She said the beauty of the intensive program is that it works for most adults who stutter, although she points out: "It's not a cure, it's a technique that helps the person who stutters to control their speech. There's well-published literature on its effectiveness, which is why we chose it. It is best practice in stuttering management for adults."

And the rewards - for stutterer and the clinician - are immense. "It changed my life," said Jacob.

"It's fantastic," says Professor Lincoln. "Particularly for our speech pathology students, who rarely get to conduct a treatment from beginning to end. With this, they are able to take the clients through the entire process from beginning to end."

The University of Sydney is offering Intensive Programs twice a year, in February and July. The week-long program, which requires a further commitment of one afternoon a week for seven weeks, costs $600. Contact the Australian Stuttering Research Centre on (02) 9351 9061 or asrc[AT]usyd.edu.au