Practise, practise!

When you attend treatment sessions with the Speech Pathologist, you are taught techniques to control the way you talk. The Speech Pathologist will encourage you to practise these techniques in as many different situations, and with as many different people as you can. The Speech Pathologist will talk about ways you can practise.

If you've had some treatment already, you may find these suggestions helpful to keep up the practise:

• Get your family and friends to remind you
• Put a sign on the telephone, so you remember your techniques before you make a call
• Reward yourself when you practise - tell yourself how good you are, get yourself a bar of chocolate!
• Choose or create a screen saver to remind you

Be as inventive as you like. It will work if it reminds you to practise! We've got more ideas for you!

• Use the power of association - a different coloured pen, a special mug, hat to remind you when you see them
• Put notes everywhere - for example on the toilet door, mirror, fridge, alarm clock and computer
• Have a "phone buddy" - someone you can practise with on the phone
• Set the clock on your mobile to go off every half hour as a reminder
• Save something you really want to do until after you've practised
• Make a checklist in your diary - cross off when you've practised
• Self-evaluate your speech out of 10 for the day by scoring it in your diary

What if I Start Stuttering Again After Treatment?

You will stutter at times. But if you do not use your techniques, you will find you start to stutter almost as much as before treatment. Techniques which were effective before don't seem to work as well as they did. This is not the end of the world and it does not mean that you're a failure. Your Speech Pathologist will discuss the option of follow-up treatment.

Let's look at some reasons why people might start stuttering again:

• They might think they're cured and they don't continue with their fluency techniques (practise)
• They might lose confidence in their techniques
• They might stop before they've had sufficient treatment

If you're starting to lose control over the way you speak, you could either see the Speech Pathologist again or re-energise those strategies that worked before. Don't be too hard on yourself! Everyone has ups and downs when they learn something new. You are not alone and the Speech Pathologist is ready to help again! If you're in Australia you might find it helpful to contact Australian Speak Easy Association who offer support in this area.