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Adult Stuttering and Fluency Therapy
Discover Easy-Feeling, Forward-Flowing Speech
Our Speech-Language Pathologists offer intervention specifically designed for adults who stutter.
We individualize each program and integrate evidence-based fluency techniques with related areas, such as confident voicing techniques, breath stream management, reduction of communication anxiety, and professional presentation and social skills.
We'll work with you to practice and carry over your fluency goals into real-life situations, such as podcasts, presentations and interviews.
Stuttering
About Stuttering
Stuttering is a fluency disorder that affects speech-motor coordination and results in a disruption of forward flowing speech. Each person who stutters is likely to experience the characteristics differently. In our work with adults and teenagers, we address three major stuttering areas: core behaviours, secondary behaviours, and negative feelings and beliefs about stuttering; and we do this in a flexible and individualized way.
Once we achieve easy-feeling, free-flowing speech together in our sessions, we work together to extend this goodness to more challenging levels in an individualized way, so you can feel independent and confident in navigating stuttering moments in day-to-day life.
The Core Behaviours
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Repetitions of sounds, syllables, words, phrases
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Blocks
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Prolongations
We'll learn and apply fluency shaping, stuttering modification, respiratory-phonatory coordination, and relaxation techniques.
The Secondary Behaviours
These behaviours are often referred to as "struggle" behaviours and happen as a result to the core dysfluency. Some common examples include:
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Substituting desired vocabulary or rephrasing sentences to avoid a potential disfluency
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Using excessive filler words or starters (um, like, so) to avoid stuttering
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Avoiding situations that are fearful, such as attending social events, asking questions or answering the phone
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Pretending not to know answers to avoid a potential disfluency
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Physical movements of the body or head (e.g. blinking, grimacing)
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Changes in breathing patterns
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Using a quiet and timid voice
Negative Feelings, Attitudes and Beliefs
Many adults who stutter have developed unhelpful beliefs that lead to restrictions in life participation. An example of an unhelpful belief could be, "If I stutter in this moment, this person will think less of me". Many commonly express feeling less confidence, embarrassed and restricted.
We work to address secondary behaviours and unhelpful beliefs and feelings through mindfulness, relaxation, cognitive behavioural therapy, and desensitization and approach strategies.
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