Person who stutters
Jen has been involved with the National Stuttering Association for several years. She is committed to helping others enjoy life to its fullest.
Speech/Language Pathologist; Board Certified Specialist-Fluency
Susan Cochrane is the founder of Freedom to Speak and Speech Pathologist with 36 years experience.
Some school districts continue to resist the need for consultative services from a Board Certified Specialist. Yes; we are all speech pathologists. You may associate this to doctors. There are many kinds of doctors. If you had a heart problem, would you accept treatment from a podiatrist; of course not. A speech pathologist who is experienced in treating those in a school may not be the right person to treat the person who stutters.
Service delivery models and location of service are clearly two different things. Learn more about what makes these two different things, and what we do to differntiate ourselves.
May is Better Hearing and Speech Month. Celebrate by getting out the word regarding truths and facts about stuttering.
Establishing a trusting and respectful relationship between the family and the therapist proves time and again the basis for positive and long-lasting communicative change. The therapist must be genuinely dedicated to improving her client's communicative/life situation. She must engage the family as well as the client in decisions about treatment. She must respect differences, thoughts and emotions. The client must trust the therapist and do the work necessary to achieve change. When the relationship is established, there may be times of "fracture". This can be a healthy event in the therapeutic experience, continuing the necessary growth towards an efficacious outcome. The rewards of helping someone live a better life cannot be more gratifying. Some relationships last a lifetime. See the student below as a kinder-gardener and now, a high-school graduate on his way to law school.