Stuttering Foundation Podcast

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Christopher Constantino, Ph.D., CCC-SLP joins Sara MacIntyre, M.A., CCC-SLP to explore stuttering therapy, and specifically, what he means by 'Stutter-affirming therapy' described in a recent article in LSHSS, "Fostering Positive Stuttering Identities Using Stutter-Affirming Therapy." [Linked below] Chris discusses what it means to move towards, rather than away from stuttering and how powerful this perspective is to creating long-standing positive changes to how we stutter, how we view ourselves as individuals who stutter, and our overall outlook and optimism for life and the future. Dr. Constantino further explores the benefits of embracing stuttering as an identity rather than rejecting it, he shares literature surrounding Identity constructs of relevance for a deeper conceptual understanding, and shares how important being able to develop positive identities around stuttering can be for the process of change. Chris describes a case-example of a 12-year-old boy named 'Will' throughout to provide clinical examples and antidotes. A longer episode, but well-worth the depth provided!

Article discussed (accessible with ASHA credentials):
Fostering Positive Stuttering Identities Using Stutter-Affirming Therapy in LSHSS

Other Resources from Chris:
Stuttering Well: A Conversation About the Self-Management of Stuttering
CEU Course and Streaming Video by Dr. Christopher Constantino

For questions/ comments/ suggestions, email Sara: [email protected].

Bio: Christopher Constantino, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is an Assistant Professor at Florida State University and lives in Tallahassee, Florida with his wife Megan and sons Augustine and Sebastian. Chris teaches courses on Stuttering and Counseling at Florida State, researches how to improve the experience of stuttering, and supervises student clinicians. He co-edited the book Stammering Pride and Prejudice.

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Daniel Shaw, M.S., CCC-SLP and Jack Henderson, M.S., CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologists at Vanderbilt's Bill Wilkerson Center, join host Sara MacIntyre, M.A., CCC-SLP to discuss all things group therapy for stuttering. Jack and Daniel unpack group therapy in a way that makes it accessible for all comfort and competency levels and provide clinical suggestions and examples for effectively working in groups with individuals across the lifespan. They discuss the importance of cultivating and building community, the multitude of benefits the group format can both directly and indirectly provide to group members, the power of support and accountability, and more!

Resources links:

• Camp T.A.L.K.S.: Talking and Learning with Kids Who Stutter
• The Art of Community by Charles Vogl

To submit episode topics or suggestions, email Sara: [email protected]

Guest Bios:

Daniel  Shaw, M.S., CCC-SLP is a pediatric SLP at the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center in Nashville, TN, where he splits his time as a lead SLP in the Preschool for Children with Autism and on the Autism Diagnostic team with serving young children, school-age/teens, and adults who stutter, and their families. Stuttering services range from individuals to group and all incorporate parent coaching and supports. He is interested in helping individuals who stutter find acceptance of stuttering and to experience the joy of communication in small and increasingly pervasive steps. He has also worked to encourage fellow SLPs to consider new ways of supporting stutterers/families in practical ways (such as personal coaching and through various presentations), as stuttering therapy can seem daunting to initiants. Prior to his role at Vanderbilt, Daniel served in the public school system in Nashville, TN.

Jack Henderson, M.S., CCC-SLP is a person who stutters and a Speech-Language Pathologist at the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center. He works primarily with people who stutter and their families across the lifespan. He is the Director of Camp TALKS (Talking and Learning with Kids who Stutter). 

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To kick off 2023 and Season 5, Ellen Kelly, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BCS-F, joins Sara MacIntyre, M.A., CCC-SLP, to discuss their best hopes for 2023 ahead. They discuss the importance of honoring our history as a field, remembering the footsteps that we walk on and those that came before us, while also looking ahead in innovative ways, their individual goals for continued learning and development. and beyond!

For comments or suggestions, email Sara: [email protected]

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Email: [email protected]

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Ali Berquez, Clinical Lead at the Michael Palin Centre in London, joins Sara MacIntyre, M.A., CCC-SLP to discuss the concepts of perfectionism, high standards, models of imperfection and how they may show up in therapy for some of the children and families we work with. Ali begins by sharing how her interest in this area originated, explores perfectionism and high standards as concepts more generally, then explores their relevance within stuttering therapy for some children and parents we may work with. Ali shares a range of resources for further learning, children's book recommendations to use in therapy, as well as clinical examples where she pulls from cognitive behavioral therapy, SFBT, and beyond, leaving us all feeling a bit closer to our 'good enough' state as clinicians supporting those we may work with where high standards feel like they could get in the way of where they hope to be.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
• Overcoming Perfectionism by Shafran, Wade, & Egan
• Freeing our Families from Perfectionism by Thomas Greenspon
• Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy
• Breaking Up with Perfectionism (Podcast) with Adam Grant

Children's books suggested:

• The Beautiful Oops
• Fantastic Elastic Brain
• The Real Deal in Perfectionism: A Guide for Kids

Bio: Ali Berquez, MSc, PG Dip CT(Oxon), BRIEF Cert. SF Practice,  is Clinical Lead at the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering in London, UK, where she has worked for over 20 years. Her role includes working with clients of all ages including adults who stutter, teaching nationally and internationally (including the Stuttering Foundation’s annual Eastern Workshop in Boston), writing, offering clinical supervision and contributing to research projects. Ali is Chair of the UK’s National Stammering Clinical Excellence Network and a certified European Fluency Specialist.

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Christopher Anderson joins Sara MacIntyre, M.A., CCC-SLP to discuss his recently published book, Every Waking Moment, which follows Chris's personal journey as a person who stutters. Chris shares his inspiration for writing and sharing his story, more about the writing and publishing process, pivotal moments in his journey, what sets avoidance reduction therapy apart from other therapy approaches, his process to finding self-confidence and a joy of communication, and more!

Link to read more and purchase Every Waking Moment
Every Waking Moment Blog

Every Waking Moment is an absolute must read for those looking for connection and inspiration through personal story blended with an unparalleled look into the process of change from an avoidance-reduction therapeutic perspective. Every Waking Moment is uniquely positioned to impact those who stutter, as well as clinicians and allies looking for a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of what transforming one’s relationship with stuttering, healing from the trauma, and living the life you want to live, every waking moment, looks like.

Bio: Christopher Anderson is a person who stutters who has spent over thirty years studying how to articulate the complexities of stuttering and the journey to self-acceptance. He is a longtime member of stuttering self-help organizations, such as the National Stuttering Association, and regularly shares his experience with speech-language pathologists.

Christopher has undergraduate and graduate degrees in Intelligence Studies, and is an award-winning subject matter expert on national security for the US Government in Washington, DC, where he lives with his family. He enjoys endurance sports--is a three-time Ironman triathlon finisher--Atlanta Braves baseball, and prefers an ice-cold root beer with his pizza. 

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Derek Daniels, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Associate Professor at Wayne State University, joins host Sara MacIntyre, M.A., CCC-SLP to discuss the beauty and power of creating space for storytelling within the therapeutic process. Derek discusses how critical it is to allow clients to take the lead in telling their stories and sharing what is meaningful to them, and how to clinically leave space and facilitate this process most effectively. Further, Derek discusses what 'affirming' clients in the therapeutic process looks like, how important this was for him within his own journey as well as within his clinical experience, and how affirmation within therapy can create space for deeper reflection related to identity, intersectionality of multiple identities, and important cultural and individual considerations. Throughout the episode Derek shares example facilitative prompts and clinical examples 

Resources:

• The Impact of Stuttering on Identity Construction
• A Life of Contradictions: What I've Learned About Resilience from Living with Multiple Marginalized Identities
• Stutter with Confidence: Stuttering will NOT Steal My Joy

Bio: Derek Daniels, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist who specializes in stuttering therapy. He is also an associate professor and graduate program director in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, where teaches courses on stuttering and supervises graduate student training in stuttering. Derek has presented locally, nationally, and internationally on stuttering. Derek is a person who stutters. His research focuses on psychosocial experiences of stuttering, identity, and intersectionality. He has participated in many self-help events, workshops, and clinical training programs for people who stutter. Derek is a native of Houston, TX, and currently enjoys urban life in Detroit. He is a Past President of the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

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Tim Flynn, M.S., CCC-SLP, a school-based Speech-Language Pathologist and person who stutters, joins Sara MacIntyre, M.A., CCC-SLP to discuss the complexities, roadblocks, and importance of stuttering education and advocacy within the school setting. Tim shares ways school-based SLPs can help dispel stuttering misconceptions to teachers, faculty, staff, and parents in order to best support students who stutter within the educational setting and beyond. Further, Tim discusses the importance of developing and supporting the self-advocacy skills in the students we work with and how greater education regarding stuttering, therapy 'successes,' outcomes, and expectations can ensure everyone is on the same page. Tim shares clinical experiences and stories throughout as well! This is a must-listen for anyone working within the schools who wishes to better advocacy, educate, and support students who stutter.

Tim Flynn, M.S., CCC-SLP is a person who stutters and has worked as a speech-language pathologist within the public schools for 14 years. Tim is an active member within the stuttering self-help community. He has facilitated multiple seminars and workshops for children who stutter, families, teachers, and speech-language pathologists. Tim also has authored or coauthored articles exploring measuring and modifying attitudes toward stuttering. He has also guest lectured for multiple graduate programs' stuttering courses.

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Dr. Evan Usler joins Sara MacIntyre, M.A., CCC-SLP to discuss a recent paper in Topics in Language Disorders, "Why Stuttering Occurs: The Role of Cognitive Conflict and Control," which is linked below.  The purpose of this article is to provide theoretical explanations of the experience of stuttering through pulling from and incorporating a variety of previous explanations, findings, and clinical theories in efforts to speculate questions such as: Why is speech fluency so situationally variable? How do stuttering-like disfluencies develop? Why are stuttering-like disfluencies perceived as a loss of control? and Why do stuttering-like disfluencies take the form they do?

Article discussed today: "What Stuttering Occurs: The Role of Cognitive Conflict and Control" in Topics in Language Disorders.

For more information on the University of Delaware Stuttering Project, visit the website here.

Evan Usler, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the University of Delaware's Communication Sciences & Disorders Department. Evan is the Director of the Interpersonal Neurophysiology Lab where he studies the interactions between cognition, language, and speech motor control.

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Ellen Kelly, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BCS-F joins Sara MacIntyre, M.A., CCC-SLP to discuss a listener submitted question: 

"How do you know when to “graduate” your student/ client? I know this varies greatly from person to person, but I would appreciate some insight into how that decision is made."

Sara and Ellen reflect on what contributes to this on-going, collaborative, and gradual decisions making process together with the student/ client.  Further, they discuss how beneficial taking a Solution-Focused Brief Therapy framework lens/ questioning could be in helping the collaborative process, and share clinical examples and antidotes along the way. 

More resources related to Solution-Focused Brief Therapy:

• About Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
• Solution-Focused Brief Therapy- A Taster!
• Working with Parents of Children Who Stutter and Supporting Change through SFBT
• and previous podcast episodes!

For topic suggestions/ comments/ feedback, write to Sara: [email protected].