Unit 10. Stuttering

Text 1 Parti. What stuttering is

The stutterer generally has retained his early belief in the omnipotence of words, but such omnipotence is tied up with the power of destruction and death. He must cautiously guard against a word slipping out which would not only reveal his unconscious death wishes but which might actually bring such wishes to reality. He exerts a control over his words so that they can's slip out, and concentrates his energy more on the word itself than on the thought. Clini­cally it has been observed that once the child can face his aggression and can gain courage to express-his hostility, he does not block on the "angry" words. However, often following such a session, the child's speech symptom as well as his resistance to treatment and to the therapist become intensified. Only when the negative transference is worked upon and interpreted is he again able to work in the areas of aggression, hostility, and guilt.

Since speech is an integral part of the personality structure of the indi­vidual, treatment must be centered not on the isolated symptom of the speech disturbance, but rather on the entire integrated organism. The defenses the child uses in all areas must be explored, and the fantasy life and distortions in thinking uncovered.

Unlike the adult, the child rarely takes the initiative to seek professional help. More frequently he is brought into treatment against his will, and once more must he submit to the authoritarian demands of his parents. The child, therefore, often offers strong resistance in the first session. The skill with which the therapist handles this resistance may determine the entire course of the treatment process. The child's willingness and decision to return independ­ent of his parents' desire for him to return must be a goal on the part of the therapist for the first session as well as the succeeding sessions if treatment is to be successful. As long as the child feels that he is coming to the therapist be­cause of parental demands and against his own desire to do so, he intensifies his resistance and uses his nonproductivity in the treatment hours as an expres­sion of hostility against his parents who make him keep his appointments. Be­sides, if a therapist accepts a child under these circumstances, he is to some ex­tent at least condoning the overdependency relationship existent between the child.and parent, since he permits the parents to make the decision for the child. The therapist in this situation has aligned himself on the side of the Parents, and must expect, therefore, a similar hostile relationship with the child hi the hours to follow.

Not only has the child rarely been consulted before the initial appoint­ment is made, but he is often suspicious of adults whom he looks upon as being threatening and demanding. He has neither blind faith nor confidence in the ^lherapist or the therapeutic process, and it is therefore important for the thera- P'st to respect the child's feelings and to convey to the child his approval and understanding of such skepticism or resistance. This is the starting point of е^гяру It n11n hpf-tpr tri HnInv tr^atrn^nt than tn forCC 3 child SgHIHSt hi?

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into a treatment process which may become only a tug of war between thechild and the therapist, a further extension of the very problem with which thechild is already struggling.

Comprehension

Task 1.

1. What does stuttering mean?

2. Does a stutterer have a specific behaviour while expressing his or her feelings and thoughts.

3. What effective ways of treatment of stutterers can you call?

The case of Tommy, a seven-year-old severe stutterer, is used to illus­trate this point. It was his first hour of treatment. When he came into the office the child was sobbing. His mother was telling him that he was acting like a baby, that he had to see the doctor, and that nothing he could say could change her mind. The therapist went up to Tommy and said, "Tommy, you seem very unhappy, I thought you wanted to see me". His speech was so blocked it was many moments before he could get the sentence out. "She made me come. I didn't want to come".

Therapist: Tommy, no child comes to see me who doesn't want to. I'm here to try to help children understand their problems - not to make them more unhappy. They don't соте to see me because their mothers want them to. They come because they feel they need help.

Tommy: Well, I don't need help.

Therapist: Then you shouldn't be here, Tommy.

The mother was aghast at this and said, "He's too young to know what's good for him".

Therapist: Tommy doesn't feel he has a problem. He doesn't want to be

here.

Tommy: Just my speech.

Therapist: Would you like to come into the playroom for a few mo­ments, Tommy? As long as you're here, you may as well see our toys.

Tommy came without any hesitation. In a few moments he was playing with the guns and soldiers. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't get the words out.

Therapist: Speech can be an awful problem sometimes. We want to say something - and the words won't come.

Tommy continued to play. At the end of the hour he seemed reluctant to

leave.

Therapist: Why don't you think it over, Tommy? You phone me tomor­row and let me know if you would like to return.

Tommy: Okay - but she'll make me.

Part II

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