This book was not written for any particular audience; generally speaking, I believe its contents should be substantive for anyone who has an interest in the nature of normal language processes and their dysfunction. None theless, in writing the book I have had in mind that its contents will be of special interest and value to persons in several disciplines, most notably certain areas of psychology and linguistics, and especially where those in terests overlap. It should also be worthwhile to individuals involved in what has come to be known as neurolinguistics, and, of course, to persons having a particular interest in the disorder of stuttering. More has been written about stuttering than all the other speech disor ders combined, yet it has remained an enigma. In my view the major source of the continued failure to isolate the nature of stuttering lies in the matter of the questions asked about it. It is not simply that they were not the right questions, but rather that there have actually been so few bona fide questions! Too much of what has been written and said about stutter ing has come in the form of declarative statement, which typically reflects some guiding concept and assumption(s). Moreover, most of what has passed as questions has been of a similar nature.

Health & sickness -- Consumer Health . Stuttering is an affliction that affects every ethnicity and every culture equally, some sixty million people worldwide. Five percent of children stutter. Typically this debilitating condition emerges when a child is between the ages of two and six. Twenty percent of these children will continue to stutter as adults. Although it is so pervasive, there is great misunderstanding about stuttering. Socially isolating those it strikes, the disorder prevents them from the kind of candid discussions that would help them gain an understanding of it. In turn, social isolation creates misconceptions. In Understanding Stuttering a writer who is both a practicing physician and former researcher on stuttering examines the medical roots of the problem and, hoping to bring alleviation, shares his findings. He defines stuttering as a medical condition that is neurologically based or inherited. In clear language he explains the basics of brain anatomy and function, tells of the latest scientific advances in diagnosis and treatment of stuttering, and explains the difference in acquired stuttering and Tourette syndrome. Using examples from his practice, he details effective treatments, including speech therapy and medications. He discusses the most promising new research and tells how the findings of this research will improve treatments and provide a possible cure. Understanding Stuttering concludes with practical tips on how to converse with those who stutter and lists organizations that provide additional information and support. Nathan Lavid, a former faculty member at the University of Southern California School of Medicine, is in private psychiatric practice in southern California.

In a book that explores the phenomenon of stuttering from its practical and physical aspects to its historical profile to its existential implications, Shell, who has himself struggled with stuttering all his life, plumbs the depths of this murky region between will and flesh, intention and expression, idea and word. Looking into the difficulties encountered by people who stutter--as do fifty million world-wide--Shell shows that stutterers share a kinship with many other speakers, both impeded and fluent. This book takes us back to a time when stuttering was believed to be 'diagnosis-induced, ' then on to the complex mix of physical and psychological causes that were later discovered. Ranging from cartoon characters like Porky Pig to cultural icons like Marilyn Monroe, from Moses to Hamlet, Shell reveals how stuttering in literature plays a role in the formation of tone, narrative progression and character.--From publisher description.

Have you ever wondered why most people who block and stutter do not do so every time they speak? Now the puzzle has finally been solved by this outstanding new book which details a completely new approach to treating this debilitating condition. Bob Bodenhamer explains that this phenomenon results from the thinking (cognition) of the stutterer as he or she associates speaking with a lot of fear and anxiety about blocking. This book both explains the structure of blocking and provides the tools for gaining more fluency.

Presents a fresh perspective on stuttering. This book aims to establish a rational and scientifically defensible foundation for the study and management of the stuttering disorder, based on the fact that stuttering is manifestly a disorder of speech.

The author presents a new approach to the therapy of stuttering. Instead of accepting stuttering and trying to make it more fluent, he prefers to motivate a patient to effectively battle the condition. This book presents a theoretical basis for such an approach and offers diagnostic tools, including normalised and standardised scales as well as questionnaires for examining patients with stuttering in different age groups. While guest authors review research on the effects of pharmacotherapy, which is regarded as controversial by many, the author focuses on discussing the approach and achievements of Central and Eastern European therapists which have not been heard of in the USA and Western European countries. He supports systemic therapy which affects all the basic stuttering factors (ie: speech disfluency, logophobia, muscle tension and interpersonal communication in a comprehensive way). Speech disfluency is not regarded as a problem, but merely as an obstacle on the way to accomplish a patients personal goals. The author presents particular methods for solving the problems of patients with stuttering and considers motivation to therapy important, though it is reduced due to the acceptance of the disorder. Although he supports using natural speech in the course of therapy, he does not reject other techniques. On the contrary, the author believes that therapeutic methods should be adjusted to the needs and abilities of a patient instead of forcing said patient to use a method simply because it is universal. The author believes therapies are subjective to the patient in question. Additionally, the author is optimistic and encourages both therapists and patients to share his optimism as well.