Stuttering

Preface

A s Stuttering: An Integrated Approach to Its Nature and Treatment reaches its sixth edition, we have strived to retain features that the previous editions’ readers have found helpful and made some changes we believe can make it even better. As we have done for each new edition, we have made additions, deletions, and other changes to bring to you the latest research and treatment approaches dealing with stuttering and related disorders. Using updates from colleagues and library resources, including pow erful search engines, such as Ovid MEDLINE and Google Scholar, is vital because research, especially on the neurology of stuttering, as well as clinical research on treatment, is moving at a rapid pace. Although we have tried to be as current as possible, we still advise you to turn to the most recent literature to keep abreast of the newest developments in research and to turn to more popular sources, such as webcasts and stuttering support group outlets, to gain insights from the powerful of voices of people as they share their personal journeys. In keeping with efforts to stay current, we have included a brand-new chapter by Naomi Rodgers. Her chapter “Treatment of Adolescents: Advanced Stuttering” (Chapter 16) brings new perspectives to stuttering therapy with teens, acknowledging how important it is to let clients take the lead in deciding when to start therapy and to determine the pace of treat ment. Dr. Rodgers’ extensive experience with teens is reflected in the guidance and recom mendations she makes and enriched by her own experience as a teen who stuttered. Another change in this new edition is the use of gender-inclusive pronouns (they and them and themselves, in place of he or she or hers or his or herself or himself). This change reflects our effort to respect individuals’ gender identity and convey an accepting attitude toward all individuals no matter what gender they were born with or what gender they have chosen. As research on the nature of stuttering has progressed, it is clearer that differences in brain function in many who stutter may be permanent and even some of the learned behav iors may be difficult to unlearn. Thus, another change that we hope readers of earlier ver sions of this book will notice is an increasing emphasis on incorporating acceptance as an important component of treatment. This is especially true of therapy for school-age stut terers, adolescents, and adults. As you will see in the treatment chapters, individuals who stutter are guided to make peace with their stuttering, learn to be open with others about their stuttering, and reduce the tension and struggle that they have used to try not to stutter. This approach makes stuttering a minor problem that is no longer associated with shame, embarrassment, and fear. Some of us even look forward to moments of stuttering so that we can handle them smoothly and openly as well as experience the feeling of triumph that accompany a stutter well-handled—or not handled at all but still not allowed to take away the importance of what we are saying.

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