Core behaviors of fluency are…
the basic manifestations that seem beyond the voluntary control of the stutterer.
Core behaviors include:
- REPETITIONS of sounds, syllables, or whole words (e.g., c-c-cat; ba-ba-balloon; we-we-we- are going)
- PROLONGATIONS of single sounds (e.g., ssssoap, ffffffishing)
- BLOCKS of airflow/voicing during speech (inappropriate stoppage of air or voice at any level of the vocal tract)
Secondary behaviors of fluency develops…
over time as learned reactions to the core behaviors and are categorized as escape or avoidance behaviors.
Escape behaviors…
occur during a stuttering moment and are attempts to break out of the stutter.
Common examples of escape behaviors include head nods, eye blinks, foot taps, and jaw tremors.
Avoidance behaviors…
occur in anticipation of a stuttering moment and are attempts to refrain from stuttering at all.
A typical avoidance behavior is circumlocutions (substitutions of less feared vocabulary words).
Ultimate aim of fluency therapy is…
spontaneous fluency.
Critical factor in determining fluency therapy (how intervention will be implemented) is…
the client’s age.
Circumlocution (and an example):
Substitutions of less feared vocabulary words (secondary/avoidance behavior). Ex: Client always stutter when they say the word “dog” so they use the word “pup” instead.
2 primary schools of thought for fluency approaches:
- Fluency shaping
2. Stuttering modification
4 things families encouraged to do:
- Avoid speaking for the child; do not fill in or complete the child’s message.
- Avoid communicative stresses such as time pressures.
- Avoid labeling disfluencies as stuttering.
- Maintain natural eye contact while the child speaks, even during disfluencies.
- Avoid correcting the child’s mispronunciations of speech sounds.
