As children, stutterers prefer not to socialise. But this habit hinders their progress, leading to depression and apprehension, says Jayaprakash Sunda, former software professional, who is now organising workshops and self-help groups of persons like him. Mr. Sunda says he was always terrified of being fired from his job. When he met Satyendra Srivastava, who runs Speech Support Group in Dehra Dun, he learned to accept his disability, he told participants at the second anniversary of the Chennai chapter of the Indian Stammering Association, held on Sunday.
“The workshops we conduct do not promise cure but allow you to talk with more ease,” Mr. Sunda says. The association has brought out a booklet and proposes to tie up with universities to develop courses on stammering. Stammerers form about one per cent of the population, Dr. Srivastava says. For every four male stammerers, there is one female but socially they are better adjusted as they are not expected to socialise as much as men, Dr. Srivastava says. Chennai chapter coordinator V. Manimaran says the chapter's 50 members meet every month providing them the opportunity to interact “There are three things we tell non-stammerers: Give stammerers time to finish their sentences, don't complete it for them. You end up guessing the answers. Maintaining eye contact with the stammerer is a sign of acceptance. When you look away you set a panic reaction. It is a genetic condition and it is not funny,” Dr. Srivastava says.
Keywords: speech support, self help group
Comments:
May I ask why a doctor's opinion was sought, and not a speech therapist's? Stammering is not a medically treatable condition, with very little being known about its causes. It is not even a fully treatable condition, with many people relapsing after speech therapy. However, there is no denying that a speech therapist knows far more about stammering than a doctor.
The one thing that is quoted correctly in this article, about stammering currently thought to have a genetic basis, might even help explain why more men are affected as compared to women.
Many people without proper training in speech language pathology are also involved in stammering and other communication disorder treatment. Few organize workshop for people having stammering .Many ex-stammerer without having training in speech language pathology are also write about themselves speech therapist/doctor designation in India and run stammering cure center, speech therapy center,stammering care center and conduct stammering correction classes due to lack of awareness. Some of this quack will take guarantee for stammering cure/therapy. Truth is different. There is no 100% cure for stammering. It can be managed by speech therapy. How do you know who are the speech language pathologist /Speech therapist? These are the professionals trained for the assessment and treatment of all kinds of communication disorders including stammering. They should have the following qualification: B.Sc. (Hons ) Speech and Hearing/B.Sc. Speech and Hearing/Bachelor in Audiology and speech language Pathology (BASLP) M.Sc. Speech language pathology/M.Sc. speech and hearing/ Master in audiology and Speech language Pathology (MASLP) Certified by Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) to work in India Although in India bachelor degree holders are also eligible to work as speech language pathologist/ speech therapist, but in developed countries like US minimum requirement is master degree. DHLS is diploma course in the field of speech and hearing and these professional are trained to work as speech therapist assistant/audiologist assistant.