Can stuttering be cured?

CAN STUTTERING BE CURED? NO
CAN STUTTERING LEAD TO IMPROVED FLUENCY? ABSOLUTELY, BUT NOTICE I DID NOT SAY TOTAL FLUENCY.

LAST NIGHT, MY SISTER N LAW (WHO IS LIKE A SISTER I NEVER HAD AND MY GOOD FRIEND) ASKED ME WITH GUARDED SKEPTICISM, IF STUTTERING COULD BE CURED? I WAS TALKING NON-STOP TO MY FAMILY THAT I DIDN'T GIVE HER A GREAT ANSWER AND REALIZED THAT MAYBE I HADN'T EDUCATED MY FAMILY THE BEST ON WHAT CAN AND CANNOT BE DONE WITH STUTTERING.

I WANT TO THANK MY SISTER N LAW (LORI-WHO SHARES MY NAME) FOR REMINDING ME HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON STUTTERING AND THERAPY.

HERE GOES MY REVIEW FOR MY FAMILY AND THE WORLD:

1. FOR PRESCHOOL CHILDREN, APPROX. 20% OF CHILDREN EXPERIENCE PERIODS OF DEVELOPMENTAL DYSFLUENCIES OR SIMPLY PUT "STUTTERING". THERE ARE CERTAIN CRITERIA USED TO DETERMINE WHICH CHILDREN SHOULD START THERAPY. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT 80% OF THESE CHILDREN WILL OUTGROW STUTTERING ON THEIR OWN. HOWEVER, I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH, THERE IS NO DEFINITIVE WAY OF KNOWING WHO WILL OUTGROW STUTTERING ON THEIR OWN. IS IT WORTH THE RISK OF WAITING, NO!!! I AM A PERSON WHO STUTTERS AND MY CHILDHOOD YEARS WERE DIFFICULT. NO MATTER WHAT YOUR PEDIATRICIAN OR SCHOOL DISTRICT TELLS YOU, DO NOT WAIT. FIND A SPEECH PATHOLOGIST WHO DEALS WITH STUTTERING AND ONE YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH. THE STUTTERING FOUNDATION OF AMERICA HAS A WONDERFUL REFERRAL LIST AND TERRIFIC RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE WHO STUTTER (WWW.STUTTERINGHELP.ORG)

WHAT HELPS PRESCHOOLERS? MODIFYING THE ENVIRONMENT, LIDCOMBE THERAPY (VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH RESEARCH BACKING IT). IN MANY CASES, PRESCHOOL STUTTERING CAN BE ELIMINATED. SO, WHY WAIT? MY WEBSITE HAS GREAT INFORMATION WWW.ALLISLANDSPEECH.COM

2. CAN SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN BE HELPED? YES. WE HAVE TO DETERMINE SEVERAL FACTORS. USUALLY PAST AGE 6, STUTTERING CAN'T BE ELIMINATED BUT CHILDREN CAN BE TAUGHT CORRECT BREATHING, CONTINUOUS SPEAKING AND WAYS NOT TO BE EMBARRASSED BY STUTTERING. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOT LET SPEAKING FEARS DEVELOP AT THIS AGE.

3. TEENS AND ADULTS-I PREFER INTENSIVE THERAPY AT THIS AGE. I USE A FLUENCY SHAPING APPROACH WITH COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL ASPECTS BUILT IN. I MYSELF HAVE HAD SUCCESS AS I AM MOSTLY FLUENT AND HAVE SUCCESS WITH MANY MANY CLIENTS. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT, OFFER IT AT MY PRACTICE. I HAVE ALSO DONE THIS APPROACH WITH OUT OF STATE AND INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS. (TELETHERAPY). I USE WHAT I TEACH.

ANY QUESTIONS OR IF YOU CAN'T POST, PLEASE E-MAIL ME DIRECTLY AT LORI@ALLISLANDSPEECH.COM

Fortune 52 honor-Please seek help for your children

Practice groups are coming. Tonight I was honored by the Long Island Press at the Tilles Center. It was a big honor and I can't thank Steven Kaufman enough for nominating me. If anyone would have told me I would be honored when I was younger and suffering from severe stuttering, I would have gotten very angry. I never thought I would be able to answer a phone, let alone be honored. Please bring your kids for speech therapy and remember they don't have to struggle. Let me help them try and improve fluency and communication. Here is the link for those of you who haven't read the interview yet.
http://www.longislandpress.com/2009/09/02/lori-melnitsky/