Practical Thoughts Blog

Oct 22, 2018
International Stuttering Awareness Day: Did I miss it?
October 22 is International Stuttering Awareness Day! Don't miss out on this opportunity to provide needed support for your students while you educate others about stuttering.

Sep 26, 2018
Students who stutter: How can teachers help?
Teachers can make a real difference in the lives of their students who stutter, though they are often uncertain about what to do to help. Fortunately, we have resources to guide them in supporting their students both in and out of the classroom.

Jul 05, 2018
Connect ALL of your clients who stutter with self-help/support groups!
Self-help and support organizations can make a real difference in the lives of people who stutter and their families!

May 07, 2018
Why no "continuous phonation?"
Continuous phonation is often recommended as a strategy for helping people increase their fluency, but we don't use it! Nina Reeves explains why.

Apr 02, 2018
Measuring adverse impact in a child whose stuttering seems to be "mild"
Stuttering is more than just stuttering, and measuring the impact of stuttering involves more than just counting the number of stuttering events a person exhibits. To truly understand the speaker's experience, we need to measure adverse impact.

Feb 27, 2018
Generalization is a challenge!
Generalization is one of the most difficult parts of stuttering therapy for clinicians and clients alike. We can support our clients' success when we come to understand why generalization is so hard.

Feb 20, 2018
Addressing Secondary Characteristics
Children who stutter often exhibit physical behaviors when they stutter. The key to addressing them is understanding the reasons those "secondary characteristics" develop, rather than focusing on the observable behaviors themselves.

Feb 15, 2018
Support Resources for People Who Stutter, Their Families, and Their SLPs
We are fortunate to have several organizations dedicated to help people who stutter and their families. Here are links to self-help/support organizations in the United States.

Feb 03, 2018
When do we recommend therapy for teens?
Many teens who stutter can benefit from treatment, but it's important that this treatment comes at the right time. Understanding the relationships between "pain of change" and the "pain of staying the same" can help speech-language pathologists know when and how to help teens who stutter.