How can I solve my speech problems? I have speech stammering? I can't
say certain words and sometimes I jumble up my words as I'm speaking
to someone? Are there any resourse on the Internet that could help me?
I live in Melbourne, Australia and I don't have much money to go to a
speech therapist? I'm moreso looking for resources on the Internet.

Hello, silentone-ga! 

 Thank you for your openness and willingness to come to Google Answers
for help. My older brother has faced the problem of stuttering since
he was a small child. He is now 55 years old, and he does still
stutter occasionally, especially when he is tired or a bit anxious.
However, he has gone on to become an engineer that speaks at meetings
and presentations all over the country. How did he overcome it? Simply
by learning to become comfortable with himself and his abilities as a
person. I admire him greatly.
 I have known several others who have gone through each day with
similar speech problems. One friend I knew in college could net get
more than two words out without going into a long, spasmodic drawl.
Agonizing for him - but not for any of his friends. We all loved him,
respected him, and waited patiently to hear what he had to say.
 I truly understand your desire to work on perfecting your speech. The
more accepting and comfortable you become with yourself, the more you
will come to look upon your stammering as a simple nuisance - but most
certainly not as a reflection of who you are. Most importantly, your
personality, talents, morals and character are reflected in the way
you act, your compassion, honesty and loyalty, the sparkle in your
eyes and the smile on your face. Even the most perfect speech cannot
hide a false or unpleasant character.
 With that said, there is every reason for you to work to improve your
speech, just as many of us try to work on our personal fitness, the
way we hold our posture, our singing voice, our presentation, our
talents, etc. There is room for all of us to improve.

I have found the following programs available on tape or DVD. I have
checked to make sure they ship internationally to Australia. Some
programs might be more relevant than others, depending on the extent
of your stammering. I believe you will find some helpful options among
the list.

   
   

*****************************
THE STAMMERING COURSE ON DVD
*****************************
http://www.stammering-stuttering.co.uk/

The techniques from the in-residence stammering therapy course have
been compiled on dvd for those who do not have the finances or time to
take a residential therapy course.

 "I have produced a dvd on which I describe the techniques taught on
the 1 to 1 Speech Courses. I explain how to implement them and make
them a natural part of that persons speech.  This is for people who
are unable to attend a residential course (which is usually due to
geographical restrictions) and is a way of creating a situation
similar to the course itself, where people can watch me explaining the
tecniques etc. The dvd lasts for approximately 70 minutes and there is
additional information that is not found within the standard course
notes (e-book or paper format). This new dvd is an excellent form of
self-help which when applied, studied and practiced will help the
stammerer/stutterer to achieve fluency. I addition, I offer full
support by answering any questions and by advising people for as long
as is required. This can be either by telephone or e-mail.
http://www.stammering-stuttering.co.uk/the_stammering_stuttering_dvd.html

To order:
http://www.multicards.com/610155/order1.htm




**********************************
COMPREHENSIVE STUTTERING THERAPY
**********************************
http://www.stuttering.ch/index.html


Teenaged and Adult Stutterers
http://www.stuttering.ch/adults.htm

"Comprehensive Stuttering Therapy is a stuttering therapy program that
you can follow from your home and will enable you to effectively and
durably control your stuttering by addressing every single element of
the stuttering phenomenon."

"Comprehensive Stuttering Therapy will teach you how to relax the
muscles of your larynx as well as other techniques directly addressing
the speech mechanism. These techniques alone can probably help you
control your stuttering in the short run but are not sufficient to
ensure you a long-lasting self-sustainable fluency. For this reason,
Comprehensive Stuttering Therapy also includes exercises targeting the
other aspects of the stuttering phenomenon.


A comprehensive approach

"Stuttering is a complex condition involving much more than the
disfluencies that non-stutterers notice. The bulk of the stuttering
phenomenon is hidden. Stuttering affects the whole person. Stuttering
includes destructive feelings, perception and emotions such as shame,
embarrassment, guilt, low self-esteem, frustration and fear of
particular speaking situations. The stuttering phenomenon also
encompasses unusual behaviors such as irregular breathing patterns,
eye contact avoidance and word substitutions."

"Treating such a complex condition requires a comprehensive and
holistic approach that addresses each and every aspect of the
phenomenon. If one aspect of the stuttering phenomenon is left
unchecked, the stutterer is very likely to relapse after a few weeks
or months."
 
* (Refer to site link for portions I have left out)

The exercises

'Part II of Comprehensive Stuttering Therapy is composed of 30
exercises that will enable you to effectively and permanently control
stuttering. Some of these exercises directly target the speech
mechanism while the others aim at altering your self-destructive
emotions, feelings and behaviors.'

'As you proceed through these exercises, your fluency will gradually
improve and you should finally achieve a self-sustainable fluency that
will last for a lifetime.'

'You will find below some of the topics that are dealt with in these exercises:'


See link:
http://www.stuttering.ch/adults.htm




***********************************
STOP STUTTERING WITH HYPNO-THERAPY
***********************************
http://stammering.homestead.com/


(Available as a download)

"Stuttering therapy has grown in popularity over the last few years,
and it certainly seems to be helpful in many cases. However, not
everyone can afford to spend so much time and money pursuing a
stuttering cure that is often very expensive. Hypnosis gets round the
stuttering 'Catch-22'.

"Our clients often tell us the hard they try to stop stuttering, the
worse it gets. And certainly it seems to be true that stress makes
stuttering worse. Hypnotherapy can help you 'relax out' of the vicious
circle that causes so many problems by helping you rehearse triggering
your relaxation response when you begin to feel tense."

"This relaxation response not only makes you feel more relaxed, but it
actually changes the way your brain is functioning at that time, to
hopefully 'normalise' it to allow smooth speech to take place more
easily."
http://www.hypnosisdownloads.com/downloads/hypnotherapy/stuttering.html?369




*****************************************************************************
ARTEFACT SOFT - New Software applications to help overcome stuttering problem
*****************************************************************************
http://www.artefactsoft.com/

2 PROGRAMS AVAILABLE: (follow links on page for more info)

1. Pocket DAF/FAF Assistant  version 1.0 

"Pocket DAF/FAF Assistant is a software application that implements
Delayed Auditory Feedback (DAF) and Frequency Altered Feedback (FAF)
techniques on handheld computers running Windows Mobile 2003 for
Pocket PCs operating system. The application can be used by people
having stuttering problem to control their speech fluency, increase
their confidence level and develop the carryover fluency when the
techniques are used on a regular basis."

2. DAF/FAF Assistant for Windows  version 1.1 

"DAF/FAF Assistant is a software application that implements Delayed
Auditory Feedback (DAF) and Frequency Altered Feedback (FAF)
techniques on Windows computers. The application can be used by people
having stuttering problem to control their speech fluency, increase
their confidence level and develop the carryover fluency when the
techniques are used on a regular basis."


(When ordering, click on "outside the US and Canada" from the drop
down menu to access Australia)



**************************************
STUTTERING THERAPY - STAMMER NO MORE
**************************************
http://www.stammeringfree.com/index.html

"Many stutterers have gone through this therapy. Those who did exactly
as required achieved 100% fluent speech. You are one step away from a
new world, a world of opportunities, friends and freedom. You will
have the freedom to say what you want, to whom you want in every
situation. Hundreds of people, including myself, have been relieved of
this awful handicap, and you can be too !!!

"Tip: most stutterers experience unwanted lip/mouth/head contortions.
These contortions occur when a stutterer wants to continue his speech
in spite of stuttering. In order to prevent these, speech should be
stopped when stuttering occurs."

"Stutterers have difficulty producing fluent speech  in stressful
circumstances. You will learn rules which must be applied in every
speaking situation. Use of these rules will result in absolutely
fluent speech in spite of any anxiety. A stutterer's mind has
difficulty controlling the complex process of speech and stressful
situations make this task even more difficult. You will learn how to
take control of your speech."

Faq'S
http://www.stammeringfree.com/faq.html

How to Order
http://www.stammeringfree.com/howtoorder.html 



*******************
OPTIMAL BREATHING
*******************

This is a somewhat different approach to gaining control over your
speech through proper breathing and relaxation.

Optimal Breathing, Singing and Speaking Development:

"This program is VERY powerful and it may help with Spasmodic
Dysphonia, Laryngitis, Stuttering and other severe speech problems. If
you have a speech issue, PLEASE try it. It is guaranteed to help or
your money back. You have nothing to lose."
http://www.breathing.com/singingandspeaking.htm



***************
VOCAL VITALITY
***************

(This may or may not be of interest)

"Susan has released her first CD titled "Vocal Vitality." It is a 2 CD
package. The first CD consists of an interview with Susan Berkley
(President of the Great Voice Company) and Susan Miller about how to
care for the voice and commonly asked questions. The second CD is a
vocal exercise program. Track One is for overall relaxation and
stretching, Track Two is an optimal vocal exercise program, Track
Three contains vocal exercises to perform in your car, and Track Four
is a shortened vocal warm up for those days when you have little
time." (It is available for $49.95 plus shipping and handling.)
http://www.voicetrainer.com/cd.html

Read an article from the Wall Street Journal
http://www.voicetrainer.com/wsj01.html

===


I truly hope these resources prove to be helpful. I wish you the very best!


Sincerely,

umiat


Search Strategy

stuttering
video or cd program to help with stuttering
at home training to stop stammering
relaxation to stop stammering
speech therapy cd's or dvd's

These sites should provide some background and insight into the
cluster of issues and various theories regarding stuttering.

http://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/Default.aspx?p=3

http://members.tripod.com/Caroline_Bowen/jmk-cb.htm

http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/infoaboutstuttering.html#everyone

http://www.shopzone.co.nz/speakeasy/causes.shtml

What causes stuttering?
There has been considerable research and even more speculation
regarding the cause of stuttering. Three factors have emerged:
  
1.Genetics and neurophysiology: There is some evidence that stuttering
runs in families and that differences in hemispheric processing may be
involved in either a reduced capacity for linguistic development or a
time delay in processing. However the evidence is not conclusive that
stuttering is inherited or that it is the result of a neurological
disturbance.
2.Learning and environmental factors: These theories focus on a
child's learning environment and opportunities to learn speech. While
there is some evidence linking the physical environment with
stuttering, again it is only suggestive and not conclusive.
3.Emotional/psychological factors: In the past stuttering has been
seen to be an emotional or anxiety disorder. The current view is that
any negative emotions associated with stuttering are the result of
having a stutter rather than the other way round. But many theorists
believe there is a connection between the emotional or psychological
state of the child and the severity of a stutter. Once again there is
no conclusive evidence.

What influences the development of stuttering?
The earlier that stuttering is recognised and treated by a
speech-language therapist the more effective that intervention will
be. Parents or guardians who notice their child stuttering should seek
advice from the Special Education Services (SES) as soon as possible.
If you are an adult with a stutter, you are not alone. There is a
support group, the New Zealand Speak Easy Association.
A person growing up with a stutter may feel discrimination, rejection,
failure and ridicule. These fears can lead to a lack of self-esteem
and less confidence. A person who stutters might appear shy,
unintelligent or non-assertive. But none of these personality traits
might be true.
For children who stutter, things they believe might make the problem
worse. For example, they might believe or feel that speaking
dysfluently:
  
·Is shameful or wrong.  
·Makes him or her seriously different from others.  
·These beliefs may lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness and humiliation. 

There is no evidence of differences intellectually or emotionally
between children who stutter and those who do not. It is vitally
important that a child who stutters does not come to believe that
stuttering is a reason to withdraw from interacting with other people.
The goal of parents or teachers should be to help prevent negative
emotions from becoming part of the child's stuttering experience. This
means that even if the child does not speak fluently he or she can at
least speak freely.
21 March 2002

silentone...

I was watching a show on the Discovery Health Channel tonight,
and your question came to mind. I watched one of the most 
severely afflicted stutterers in the world begin to speak
normally, literally at once.

The cure was a device, similar to a hearing aid, which is
worn in the left ear, so that it affects the right side of
the brain where stuttering has its physiological origins.

It has long been known that if a stutterer sings or speaks
in unison with others, stuttering decreases or disappears
entirely. This is known as "choral speech". See the FAQs:
http://www.speecheasy.com/faqs_how.html

The device mimics this by playing back the speaker's voice
with a slight delay and a slight change of pitch. This tricks
the brain into focusing on the "other" voice, and breaks the
cycle of stuttering which arises when the speaker is focused
on his real voice, so that a stutter triggers a stutter, and
so on.

The device is called the SpeechEasy, and has an 80% success 
rate with severe stutterers. Here is their website:
http://www.speecheasy.com/

Although they are currently conducting clinical trials,
the bad news is that providers for the device are currently 
located only within the United States. The following 
page on their bulletin board indicates the interest of 
others who live in Australia, and the response of the
Sales and Marketing Manager:
http://www.speecheasy.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1956&

The pricing of the device and its multiple variations
is not discussed on the site, that I could find.

This seems like it's a bit outside the realm of immediate
usefullness, so I didn't post it as an answer, but I 
thought you'd want to know about it.

sublime1-ga

Simple problems require simple answers... try... I mean REALLY try to
stammer or stutter.  You'll find that when you try, you cannot.