Categories for Preschool Stuttering

Is Stuttering a Disability?

Is Stuttering a Disability? Stuttering is legally identified as a speech disability in many countries around the world. But is it really? When the flow of speech is interrupted by involuntary repetitions, silent pauses, and prolongations, you may be classified as having concerns with stuttering. Even as adults, most people struggle to find resolutions to stop stuttering. It’s important to identify stuttering early to minimize developing social anxiety and negative attitudes toward communication. It is estimated that about 1% of the adult population gets diagnosed with this speech disorder. In the US alone, there are approximately three million people who have concerns with stuttering and occurs mostly amongst males versus females. Neurogenic and Psychogenic stuttering is mostly found in adults. While Neurogenic stuttering is caused due to strokes or head injury, Psychogenic stuttering can be an aftermath of extreme psychological stress. Is disability the right word? As per the Americans […]


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Posted on June 24, 2020 11:08 pm by

Adult Stuttering -What is Prolonged Speech?

Adult Stuttering-What is Prolonged Speech? Most people want to stop stuttering.  In fact we pray to stop stuttering.  I am an adult who stuttered severely so I get it.  Did you know continuous movement and prolonged speech improve fluency?  If you say “III waaannt to eaaaat piiiza” you might be fluent with help but sound robotic. That is the problem. It is unnatural and hard to maintain. None of us want to be boring speakers and put others to sleep. We want to be heard and be “normal” speakers. We all want to learn how to stop stuttering. We all want to end tomorrow. When I was stuttering severely I took fluency programs that taught me how to talk more fluently and slow down to 2 seconds per syllable. I did this for 7 hours a day and then I went to one second.  I stopped at .5 seconds per […]


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Posted on June 19, 2020 5:31 pm by

Lori Melnitsky-Journey with Stuttering

Lori Melnitsky by Beverly Fortune on September 2, 2009 Lori Melnitsky has been stuttering since she was four years old. It was a long journey for her to get to where she is today: one of the rare stutterers to have recovered from a severe stuttering disorder that has gone on to become a successful fluency expert and speech pathologist in a private practice. “Back then it wasn’t talked about,” Lori says. “It was a very hidden topic and you were embarrassed by it. There was a tremendous amount of shame. I was never part of anything in school,” she says. “I went to speech therapy but didn’t speak. [My stutter] became worse and I couldn’t say my name, [when I tried] my head would jerk back.” “I don’t think many people know what [stuttering] is,” Lori explains. “It’s a communication disorder that is characterized by the disruption of the normal flow of […]


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Posted on June 13, 2020 3:13 am by

What causes stuttering?

What Causes Stuttering?   (This was adapted from the Stuttering Foundation of America) Stuttering Facts and Information What is stuttering? Stuttering is a communication disorder in which the flow of speech is broken by repetitions (li-li-like this), prolongations (lllllike this), or abnormal stoppages (no sound) of sounds and syllables. There may also be unusual facial and body movements associated with the effort to speak. Stuttering is also referred to as stammering. What causes stuttering? There are four factors most likely to contribute to the development of stuttering: genetics (approximately 60% of those who stutter have a family member who does also); child development (children with other speech and language problems or developmental delays are more likely to stutter); neurophysiology (recent neurological research has shown that people who stutter process speech and language slightly differently than those who do not stutter); and family dynamics (high expectations and fast-paced lifestyles can contribute to stuttering). […]


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Posted on June 3, 2020 9:00 pm by

Help your child who stutters in a pandemic…

——News alert… I am upset and I cannot hide this… Going to the ER for stuttering.??What???? I cannot stress this enough, especially now…. if your child is stuttering do not wait!!!! ….I can only speak for over 25 years of therapy, It is the same doing online therapy for children who stutter as if they are in person. If anything it increases talking and helps parent help their children. Most schools do not have stuttering specialists on staff nor provide summer services. Teens and adults are relieved when I talk with them to learn strategies to speak more fluently. Stuttering can be cyclical in nature but if it is continuing then please reach out. I am getting too many calls of people waiting for schools in September. I have gotten unusual calls of worried parents who were told to bring their children as young as 4 to bring their kids […]


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Posted on May 9, 2020 3:56 pm by

How can you help your child who stutters over tele health…

During these stressful times stuttering can increase. Even in a pandemic stuttering can be helped.   Despite homework and chaos, children deserve to communicate. If your child is stuttering several things can be done to get them help. These include: Reduce questions…comment more.. Allow more time to speak..pause before answering Do not interrupt Do not allow them to interrupt you Help them phrase out your words… Positive praise Take turns Keep good eye contact If you are interested in our Lidcombe Plus parent program please email Lori@allislandspeech.com www.allislandspeech.com  


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Posted on May 5, 2020 12:54 am by

Masks-The impact on communication, speech and hearing…It will be huge..

The real and new truth is this.. We will all have to have more patient now. Of course wearing masks is essential for our health but it does create communication and hearing issues. It has become our new normal. I just came back from the supermarket, which has been a stressful experience for all. I While ordering items from the deli counter I realized people were repeating items three times due to the fact that it is harder to project or see lips. People who are are hearing impaired often read lips. Well, those days are gone. People who stutter need airflow to talk and it is harder to breathe in masks. Someone who suffered a stroke might get frustrated if not understood. People have asthma, kids have oral motor issues or apraxia. The list goes on and on. It is also a little scary not recognizing people. With that […]


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Posted on April 23, 2020 7:45 pm by

Stuttering and fluency therapy in a Pandemic…Yes it is important…

Yes.. stuttering can be helped even in a pandemic… During this crazy and scary time it is easy to freeze in time. I get it and it is unpredictable but the truth is we will need communication when this is over and when isolated it is even more important to talk.  It helps to talk with more fluency and express how we feel. I remember the days when I felt alone and got stuck on every word out of my mouth from stuttering. Our intensive programs are discounted and I truly hope you are staying safe. Please take care of yourself… Lori@allislandspeech.com www.allislandspeech.com #stopstuttering #adultstutteringtherapy #MPI2stuttering #stutteringtherapy    


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Posted on April 13, 2020 10:14 pm by

Best reasons to continue tele therapy at this time…

The truth is this is a generation that learns via tele therapy. At the risk of sounding old, I did so much of my fluency therapy via telephone. I would have done anything to work on my fluency.  I am going to tell you what helped. keep talking. It is so important to keep talking at this time for so many reasons… fluency skills, the art of conversation, easing anxiety. Therapy for younger children is parent oriented. If it is hard to do it during the day then schedule a time at night or on the weekend but stuttering therapy and articulation therapy can definitely be done online. It might not be perfect but these are imperfect times and the more we can adapt the more we can move forward when this craziness ends and I believe it will end. Involve friends and family in therapy. Play games, talk with […]


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Posted on April 6, 2020 4:15 pm by

Will my child stop stuttering?

This is my number one question I get asked and the answer is not easy. We have all heard of famous people who say they used to stutter. I believe them. Some were developmental and would have stopped anyway. Others received therapy and others stopped over time. My father stopped over time. My daughter stopped with family support and therapy. Although I cannot answer this, I can tell you early intervention is key to trying to eliminate it. If often depends on child’s temperament, age of child, severity of stuttering and if any other speech disorders exist.  The skill of the speech pathologist matters and often school speech therapy is not provided by a specialist.  Incorrect guidance can heighten awareness and increase stuttering. The best thing to do is to seek help from a stuttering specialist. Also watch for my masterclasses because there is power in education. Also remember parents […]


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Posted on January 28, 2020 11:07 pm by