Categories for Preschool Stuttering

Why Private pay as opposed to school speech therapy?

I want to start by saying that I have worked in public schools before. I totally respect my school speech pathologists.  They work hard for our children and have huge caseloads. Many kids who stutter or receive Prompt therapy are in groups of 5.   It is vital for kids who stutter to have parents either in the session or available at the end to facilitate progress. The Lidcombe program which is used up to about age 7 or 8 requires parents to actively work with their children at home.  This is not a school program.  It is a disservice to your child to do this program without parents present. Prompt is hands on so it is not sanitary to have the therapist’s hands on 2 or 3 children. They need a high level of expertise and individual therapy. Not all school speech pathologists specialize. Schools cannot solve every speech or […]


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Posted on August 15, 2018 7:10 pm by

Talking about Stuttering is not fun..What do we do?

I recently received an email from a speech pathologist who was concerned about a teenager who stutters on her caseload. I was thrilled she asked how to help. She observed this 11 year old was not talking too much or not interested in exploring the topic of stuttering. So what do we do? Children get a ton of questions from their parents and even at my age my mom likes to know what is going on. I work part time in a high school and the last thing they want me doing is asking questions about their lives. They love talking about their strengths, sports or cars. It is up to me to find ways of encouraging them without making stuttering the highlight of their lives. The truth is people who stutter want to talk. Most people do not like talking about things that bother them, ex: weight, poor hearing […]


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Posted on July 9, 2018 9:09 pm by

Superman or Tigger? Who would you choose?

The truth is the evidence for childhood stuttering isn’t great.  As a result I can only tell you what I have seen and sometimes hands on experience helps you learn more than what research can tell you. I have seen so many great success stories and  I am not sure where to start. Let’s all the remember the goal of childhood stuttering to try and eliminate stuttering or reduce to a mild level so the child can communicate freely without fear or holding back. We must keep the child talking so the fear of stuttering doesn’t impact their ability to communicate now and in the future. I cannot lie that I did avoid talking at one point in my life but that was because of the judgements of the world around me and not because of speech therapy.  All my speech pathologists encouraged me to talk regardless of stuttering. I […]


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Posted on April 26, 2018 1:36 pm by

The best phone call I received this month..

Today on a rainy day I received a call from a teenager who stutters in his first year of college.   I first met Brandon when he was approximately 13.   I was surprised but so happy to hear his voice.  He sounded like a young man and not a kid anymore. He spoke with grace and confidence. He proceeded to tell me that I inspired him to get a job from a you tube video I made on stuttering. I talked about how working helped me overcome my fear of speaking.  Sometimes I wonder who watches my videos but now I know. The truth is Brandon inspired me early on.  He was a hard worker with very supportive parents. Stuttering was a challenge but he worked hard not only on the physical aspect of stuttering but the emotional aspect. He appeared on a Fios 1 segment with me.  Talking […]


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Posted on January 24, 2018 12:45 am by

Do you have a child who stutters?

I get many calls each week about their child who started stuttering out of nowhere.   Many ask should I see a neurologist? The answer is no.  These are questions to ask  yourself.. Is there a history in the family? Are they struggling? Are they aware? Are they blocking? Always trust your gut. Pediatricians often say to wait. Although that might be the easy thing to do it is not always the right suggestion.  Doctors  are  often our first resource but stuttering is usually not something they learn about in school.  Sometimes a simple consult is helpful with a speech pathologist in stuttering helps relieve concern.  Remember to not interrupt and allow sufficient time to speak.  


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Posted on August 3, 2017 7:40 pm by

Great Prolonged Speech Program…

Many years ago I was scared to say  hello. Yes I was scared to say hello. I took a prolonged course that I learned from it. I can help your teen improve fluency. Once a week might not be the answer. I have a unique program. www.allislandspeech.com


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Posted on June 7, 2017 12:19 am by

Persistence…..

This is a word I use often. I was always persistent. I guess it came in handy with stuttering. Many times I talk with parents of children who stutter or adults. They ask me why previous therapies did not work. Like anything else in life not everything works for everyone. You need a connection. I worked at many therapies too but I can tell you that prolonged speech is the best program out there for adults.  I use these tools now and barely stutter.  


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Posted on June 6, 2017 11:40 pm by

My child has had stuttering therapy for years.. Why is it not working?

The truth is not every speech pathologist specializes in stuttering therapy. It is a complex disorder with a small percentage of the population who stutter. Many students never see anyone who stutters and school speech pathologists have large caseloads with various disorders and huge amounts of paperwork. There are many important areas that need to be addressed for therapy to be effective and the goals are different at different ages: Preschool Stuttering: Let’s try and eliminate. Do not work on breathing! School Age Stuttering: Improve fluency, improve confidence and self esteem, incorporate parents in the process, talk about stuttering openly. Older Teens and College Students: Improve fluency and talk about how to help them. Remember I stuttered severely and never gave up. I taught  myself with help how to help others. www.allislandspeech.com


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Posted on June 6, 2017 7:55 pm by

Stuttering in the Workplace…..

Many years ago when I was an accountant I had interviews while stuttering severely or what I perceived as severe difficulty communicating. I was a pro at substituting words and avoiding as not to stutter. I would not dare disclosing that I stuttered at that time. Interestingly I got many jobs despite the challenges of free expression. I believe these are a few of the reasons why… I established eye contact. I was confident in what I said. I even got a job as a computer assistant by just not the language. I am persuasive. If you are interested in coaching, speech therapy or a webinar to help you please email Lori@allislandspeech.com I can also coach you through difficult situations. Together we can succeed.


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Posted on May 30, 2017 1:28 pm by