Having a Chronic Disorder

Dealing with a chronic disorder (such as long-term stuttering) can negatively impact perceptions of self and beliefs of self-worth.  You may have discovered that stuttering is more than a disorder of speech fluency.  The “push back” your child gives you, the hesitancy to use fluency tools in public, the frustration you see on your child’s face, the disappointment when someone looks at you and your child with a questioning expression.  These experiences become the thoughts and feelings you and your child develop about yourselves and others because of stuttering.  These thoughts and feelings are part of what make up the “stuttering syndrome” and become just as important in the treatment process as modifying speech motor production.