Now aside from all of the assignments I also did a great deal of research and reading on different information regarding information interacy.  I didn't speculate at the begininning of the class the great deal of information I would take away from the class and use in the future.  I first  learned what the term information literacy meant by reading an article posted by Ms. McComas.  This article prepared me for the class by informing me about a variety of information.  

As a class we attended an informative class at he library which taught us how to retrieve and find information off the internet.  First we learned about the many different search engines availible.  We learned how to refine our search to find just what we wanted to.  Besides learning how to search for the information, Mrs. McComas had us join a professional mailing list which allowed us to hear from individuals with stuttering my topic.  This helped me gain insite from individuals who struggle with stuttering and showed me the emotional side of the disorder.  

Once the information was gathered for my topic it was time to begin putting my MRP together.  By beginning with  a project prospectus I was able to organize how my project would look by selecting the genres I was going to use in my MRP.  I then had to decide on an essential question which I would be answering throughout my entire MRP.  I also had to formulate foundation questions to help guide me in the right direction.  

Mrs.McComas had us put all of our drafts on a weblog (tabulas) this allowed my fellow classmates/group members to review my work and provide feedback.  This feeedback was very helpful to me when making revisions and suggesting changes to be made.  Another benefit to the weblog was having all of my pieces of work (genres) together in one place.  It was easy to access each genre and make correct changes.  Not having automatic spell check made it difficult but at the same time forced me to proof read every genre before posting it. One of that was new to me was the powerpoint presentation genre.  Although I had seen many powerpoint presentations I had never had to complete one of my own. Since I had never completed a powerpoint I learned a great deal of information on how to put one together and what it should look like.  I believe this skill I learned this semnester will be one put to use again, sometime in the future. 

Once all of my genres were posted I learned how to revise my work by using the SCAR method.  This allowed me to change and double-check all aspects of my piece of work.  Along with the help of my great group mates Kim, Kristen, and Will. 

Once all of the revisions were made I then had to make the change of weblog to webpage.  I had to move all of my genres to webpages by doing it the same way in the past.  I had to double check all of the links once again.  

I then had to make it "offical" by putting all the correct legal information on each page.  I had to place copyright information on each page.  The article was very helpful on informing me of what exactly copyright is.

Once my work was complete I changed my background and made it look a little more inviting for others to view. I hope after these last 15 weeks I have created a website that will be useful to others and interesting to view for the public.  My main goal when creating this website was to create a place where anyone can come and gain a great deal of information on stuttering.  I feel my mission was accomplished. 

SLP-  Hello Mrs.  Roberts.  My name is Mary Richardson I talked to you via email a few weeks ago.  I have been a Speech Language Pathologist for 10 years now.  If you would like to know a little more about me personally you can visit my  website I have set up for clients and parents of clients to take a look at.  I think establishing a good realtionship with both the client and the family is key to successful speech therapy.  Now, today we are going to talk about your daughter  Cindy's speech problems and how they affect her daily activities.  First I would like to start out today by watching a powerpoint presentation I created on stuttering.  (watch video)  Now after watching this do you have any questions before we start?

Mother-  Well, sometimes I worry I should have looked into speech therapy services earlier then now.  Do you think Cindy has missed out on a lot by waiting until now? 

SLP- There is no real way of knowing this I can only say early intervention is usually the key to success.   When you first contacted me I was glad to see you decided to take the step to see a Speech Language Pathologist this soon because the key to success for a stutterer is early intervention. Lots of parents are in denial that their child has a problem.  They think their child will eventually grow out of it.  By beginning Cindy in therapy at the early age of age you may help prevent any lasting effects of teasing.  When did you first notice Cindy's stuttering?

Mother-Well, I would have to say we noticed her stuttering begin around the age of 3.  I wasn't real concerned at that point thinking it was a stage she would eventually grow out of.  Has she grew older I began getting a little more concerned she is now in the second grade and friends are a big part of her social life.  Until now I haven't really gotten her any sort of therapy.  Like I mentioned in my email she has been tested by her school speech language pathologist however it didn't seem to be going anywhere so I choose to come to you for help.

SLP-  I think you made a good decision coming to our clinic and I think you should also push for the school system to offer services to Cindy as well.  You mentioned her friends being a bigger part of her life now, Would you say that her stuttering is affecting her social life?

Mother-  Cindy has always been a shy girl and by saying shy I mean not very outgoing, so she doesn't like to be the center of attention.  But to answer your question, yes, she does become withdrawn during some social situations.  Her Sunday school class is a good example of this:  At church her Sunday school class memorizes different Bible verses every week and recites it on Sunday in class.  Every Sunday morning Cindy crys and begs me to let her miss.  I used to give in and let her miss.  I now try to help her and practice each verse over and over and push her to go. 

SLP-Has Cindy ever told you she has been teased by her fellow classmates at school?

Mother-  Yes, there are some days she will come home from school crying because of a comment made by another kid or other children laughing at her for stuttering.  I am afraid the older she gets to more the kids at school will notice her differences and tease her. 

SLP-  I believe the therapy she will be receiving will be able to not only help Cindy's fluency issues but also help her overcome the emotional side side of it as well.  To begin to help Cindy overcome her social anxiety try talking openly about her stuttering problem and letting her express her feelings through writing and talking.  Now I asked you to bring in Cindy's journal and poem I asked her to work on.  Lets take a look at these and see how Cindy feels about her stuttering. 

SLP-  After reading Cindy's writings I feel you described how Cindy feels about her stuttering very well.  She mentioned in her journal her anxiety of going to school to recite a poem in front of the class.  She also mentioned other kids at school teasing her.  In order for Cindy to overcome this social anxiety she can learn helpful tips to get through those terrifying moments.   What would you say your expectations of speech therapy are?

Mother-  I have read many articles on stuttering and the effects of speech therapy, so I know this is not going to be a quick fix.  I guess I am just looking for anyway possible to help Cindy overcome her social anxiety.  I want her to be able to improve her speech and not stutter so often.  I want her to learn to control it better on her own.

SLP-  I think your goals for therapy sound very realistic.  Because with therapy we will be going over some compensatory techniques, which are strategies we will teach Cindy to get through a dysfluent (stuttering) moment.  By learning these strategies Cindy will be able to control her speech flow better.  This is also going to take some work from you at home as well.  Are you willing to work with Cindy at home?

Mother-  Of course, I am willing to do whatever I can to help Cindy overcome this problem.

SLP-  Great, I am glad to hear how willing you are to help your daughter.  There are a few helpful tips that will help you help Cindy.  Here is a pamphlet you can take home with a list of tips I put together for parents to read.  The first tip on the pamphlet is the importance of you being a listener and not criticizing or correcting your child's speech.  Second, try to talk more slowly or use shorter or simpler sentences.  Third, talk about what your child is talking about to let them know you are listening.  Forth, don't tell your child to slow down.  Fifth, try not to put your child in embarrassing situations where you know she will stutter.  By following these simple guielines you will be able to help your child's speech at home.  Now, before you go, do you have any other questions?

Mother-  Not that I can think of right now.  But thank you so much for all of the helpful information.  I am so excited about Cindy getting speech therapy.

SLP-  Well if you ever have any questions don't hesitate to contact me through email or calling me.  Thank you so much for coming in today. I really have enjoyed these first few therapy sessions with Cindy. 

Mother- See you on Monday for therapy.

SLP-  Ok see you then!   Thanks again for coming in.

What is stuttering?

Stuttering in an interruption in the natural flow of speech characterized by involuntary repetitions, prolongations, hesitations, blocks, and/or secondary behaviors, which cause an inferference with the speaker and listener's ability to communicate.  Repetitions are when the child says something more than once.  There are phrase repetitions (example: I want, I want, I want to go to the store.), whole word repetitions (example: She, she, she, got it.), part-word repetitons ( example:  Ma, Ma, Ma, Martha went home.), and sound repetitions (example: K-k-k-kitty cat.).  Prolongations involve the involuntary holding-out of a sound (example: I mmmmmmmight go home.).  Blocks are when the child's articulators stay in a certain position for a period of time resulting in a period of silence.  Secondary behaviors are visable behaviors, both facial and body movenments, that occur at the moment of stuttering.  The child uses these behaviors in an attempt to avoid or escape the problem.  Some examples of secondary behaviors are eye blinking and/or foot tapping.   All of these characteristics of stuttering affect the stutter when trying to communicate.

What causes Stuttering?

The cause of stuttering is unknown.  Many believe that stuttering results from a combination of genetic, neurological, environmental, and/or developmental issues.  It is important to know how long the child has been stuttering.  The earlier it starts the better the outcome because of the more likelihood of it being a language problem.

Characteristic:

The following Chart might help you determine if your child is a stutterer or producing normal dysfluencies:

Tips for Parents:

1.  Be a listener-  Don't criticize or correct

2.  Talk more slowly

3.  Use shorter, simpler sentences

4.  Talk about what your child is talking about

5.  Don't tell your child to slow down

6.  Don't put child in an embarrassing situation

How many people are affected by stuttering?:

There are over 3 million American's that stutter this is about 1% of the total population in the US.

Where can you find more information on stuttering?:

Go to the National Stuttering Association at http://www.nsastutter.org/

Go to the Stuttering Foundation at http://www.stutteringhelp.org

References:

Blocks, S., Dacakis, G., Gray, B., & Packman, A.  (2005).  Treatment of chronic stuttering:  outcomes from a standard training clinic.  International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 40, 455-466.  Retrieved October 5, 2005, from the MEDLINE database.

To:  RichardsonSLP@aol.com

From:  RobertsA@aol.com

Subject:  Questions about clinic

September 15, 2005:

Mrs. Richardson,

My name is Anne Roberts.  I am writing to get more information on the Speech and Hearing Clinic.  I have been concerned about my child Cindy's speech.  I was refered to you by Cindy's 1st grade teacher at Meadows Elementary School.  She mentioned your facility as an excellent place to take my daughter Cindy to receive speech therapy.  My daughter Cindy seems to have a stuttering problem.  It hasn't seemed to affect her emotionally or socially until this school year.  She has been tested at her school in Cabell County by the Speech language pathologist, however it doesn't seem to be going anywhere, so I am wanting to turn to your services for more help.  I was wondering if your clinic takes new clients on a regular basis and if so how to go about getting help.  Please email me to inform me of the services offered at your highly recommended clinic.  You can contact me via email at RobertsA@aol.com or on the telephone at 304-555-5555.  I am excited to hear from you and hopefully get my daughter Cindy into some sort of therapy. 

Thanks, Anne Roberts

October 5, 2005: 

Today was no different than any other day, I still heard the constant laughs and whispers whenever I tried to speak in class.  I feel so stupid whenever it happens.  I can only explain to my friends by relating it to my favorite movie Mean Girls which uses the phrase its like "word vomit".  I compare it to this because the sounds just keep coming out of my mouth uncontrollably.  I can't wait to go to speech therapy tomorrow.  I love my speech teacher she makes me feel comfortable to talk.  She understands my disorder.  I wish she could be there with me tomorrow when I have to recite my poem.  I got it perfect when I recited it to my mother and speech teacher but I know I will stutter in front of the class tomorrow.  I'll be writing tomorrow to inform you of how my day went. 

October 6, 2005:

Well let me start out by telling you there is nothing I wanted more earlier than this day to come to an end.  It had to be one of the most humiliating days of my life.  It started when I woke up this morning I immediatly thought of the dreadful moment to come of reciting my poem to the class.  The anxiety began before my feet hit the floor.  I got to class and listened to others recite their poems flawlessly.  It finally came my turn, I took a deep breath and began to produce the first sound, but nothing came out.  My speech teacher calls moments like these silent blocks and let me tell you this block lasted what seemed an enternity.  Throughout the entire poem I stumbled on words and paused for several seconds.  Those had to be the most horrifing 15 minutes of my life.  It's days like these I begin to feel defeated or discouraged from success.  I don't think anything can help me.  All of those precious and frustrating moments in speech therapy and nothing to show for them.  I wish more than anything I could control the words that come out of my mouth.  Nobody knows the struggles I face on a daily basis.

I am a shy child that stutters

I wonder how long it will last

I hear whispers and gigles from others 

I see others starring in anticipation as I stubble over my words

I want to learn how to speak more clearly

I am a shy child that stutters

I pretend I am alone when I speak 

I feel frustrated and embarrassed

I touch my mouth to stop the repetitions

I worry what others are thinking

I cry to God "Why Me?"

I am a shy child that stutters

I understand why others stare

I say its not my fault

I dream of speaking more clearly

I try to pretend I don't care

I hope I overcome this disorder

I am a shy child that stutters

Foundation Questions:

1.  What is stuttering?

2.  What do we know about the affect of stuttering on school-aged children?  Comunicative?  Emotional/Social?