The Problem of Stuttering

Stuttering is a speech and language disorder characterized by the involuntary prolongation and repetition of sounds and syllables, often accompanied by tension, struggle, and reactive emotions and movements during speech. These symptoms are not consistent, but usually quite variable, thus making the problem more complex. Many people who stutter also report experiencing a loss of control when stuttering, as well as having negative feelings and attitudes toward themselves and their talking. People who stutter often have great difficulty coping effectively with these various aspects of their multifaceted problem.

Stuttering typically begins to develop in early childhood with as many as 50-80% of these children outgrowing the problem by 7 years of age. Nevertheless, 1% of those individuals who begin to stutter will continue to stutter into adulthood. Therefore, approximately 3.5 million adults in the United States have a life-long stuttering disorder.

Stuttering affects an individual's ability to communicate. Therefore, the responses that other people have toward stuttering can adversely affect the ways in which an individual deals with stuttering. In fact, there is a negative stereotype of people who stutter. This stereotype can lead to a significant handicap causing social, economic, and educational disadvantages. For those who stutter into late adolescence and adulthood, learning to cope successfully with the disorder through therapy will help to reduce its handicapping effects on their lives.

It is often difficult for people who stutter to identify and receive appropriate therapy. To assist people who stutter and their families receive appropriate therapy and information, the Department of Communication Disorders at BGSU has developed new services that will expand their already existing therapy services for people who stutter. These services include three specialty clinics, a consultation network with our eight community partners, and a support group for adults who stutter.

Intensive Clinic for Adolescents and Adults who Stutter

The cornerstone of the services for people who stutter is our Intensive Clinic for Adolescents and Adults who Stutter. This intensive clinic within the Speech and Hearing Clinic at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) has been established to help individuals who stutter find better ways to cope with their stuttering. The clinic is directed by Rodney M. Gabel, Ph.D. Dr. Gabel is a certified and licensed speech-language pathologist and a Board-Recognized Specialist in Fluency and Fluency Disorder. In addition, the staff of the clinic includes speech-language pathologists and graduate students in communication disorders who are studying to become speech-language pathologists.

Intensive Stuttering Clinic for Adolescents and Adults.

The purpose of this intensive clinic is to help adolescents and adults who stutter develop positive coping strategies for dealing with stuttering. Participants will increase their understanding of stuttering and learn to communicate effectively. They will learn to eliminate their maladaptive reactions to stuttering and reduce their stuttering severity. This clinic is for individuals who are willing to invest a significant amount of time and energy to make meaningful changes in their speech and their lives.

This clinic will be one of very few intensive clinics that are offered throughout the country. The 2008 clinic will run from June 9^th through June 27^th. Important details about the clinic are as follows:

• Five to seven participants over the age of 12.
• Emphasis on teaching the client to modify his/her stuttering, eliminate all maladaptive behaviors related to stuttering, and change the negative or self-defeating emotional reactions, feelings, and attitudes related to speech;
• 75 hours of formal treatment will be provided during this clinic. The clinic sessions will run from 1 pm -6 pm Monday through Friday.
• The Department of Communication Disorders and Bowling Green State University do not provide housing on the BGSU campus for those clients coming from a great distance. We can provide a list of hotels within walking distance to the campus.

A typical schedule for each day, Monday-Friday, with time allotted for breaks:

• 1:00-2:00 PM Large group sessions
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• 2:00-5:00 PM Individual or small group sessions
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• 5:00-6:00 PM Large group session

As a part of the BGSU clinic will help each client develop his/her own ongoing self-therapy. The purpose of this self-therapy is to allow the individual an avenue for continued use of the effective coping strategies s/he learned during treatment. As a part of their self-therapy, participants will be given various opportunities to attend follow-up therapy, either within a traditional model or during 2-day intensive review sessions offered to participants at selected times throughout the year. These review sessions will help the person to refresh and further refine his/her coping abilities. The charge for the review sessions will be partially compensated by the payment for the intensive clinic.

Fees for the three week clinic:

• $600 for the entire clinic. This cost reflects a $1000 fee reduction for each participant, made possible by the generous support of our community supporters.
  
  
• Housing, food, and parking costs are not included in the clinic fees above.

The fee for the Evening Clinics for Adolescents and Adults is $25.00 per session and the fee for the One Day Follow-Up Clinics is $100 per day. These clinics will begin July 7^th and continue until August 1^st. The times for these clinics will be announced at a later time.

Consultation Network

In the past, a consulting relationship was established between Dr. Gabel and several community partners. As a part of this continuing relationship, Dr. Gabel is available for consultative and supportive services to the community in a manner that best fits their needs and the structure of their organization. As a part of this service, Dr. Gabel has provided formal in-services (for SLPs, teachers, or other staff), on-site consultation regarding specific clients, case study conferences (as a part of their monthly staff meetings), phone or email consultations, or a combination of all of these options.

Bowling Green Chapter of the National Stuttering Association:
Support Group for Adults who Stutter

The Department of Communication Disorders sponsors a support group for adults who stutter. This support group is a chapter of the National Stuttering Association. The group meets two Wednesdays a month at Grounds for Thought. The group provides a safe and friendly atmosphere for people who stutter, and those affected by stuttering. At the meetings, you will be able too: (1) meet others who stutter, (2) meet significant others who support people who stutter, (3) share experiences, (4) practice any therapy techniques (if you want to), and (5) work on moving forward in life with dignity and respect. For more information about the group, please contact Scott Palasik or  Eric Swartz.  

Director: Rodney Gabel, Ph.D.

Rodney Gabel, Ph.D.- Rodney Gabel, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the Department of Communication Disorders at Bowling Green State University. He received his B.S. and M.S. from Bowling Green State University and his Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University. He holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and an Ohio License. Dr. Gabel is a Board Recognized Fluency Specialist Mentor. Over the past 12 years, he has worked exclusively with people who stutter. Dr. Gabel conducts research and teaches courses in stuttering at the graduate level.

The clinic is staffed by 3 additional licensed and certified Speech-Language Pathologists and 6 graduate students in Speech Language Pathology.

For More Information

If you would like more information about any of these services, please contact Dr. Rodney Gabel at:

BGSU Speech and Hearing Clinic
Department of Communication Disorders
200 Health Center Building
Bowling Green, OH 43403
419-372-2515

Dr. Gabel - Send Email;
419-372-7168

Funding Sources

We are thankful for the support given by the following organizations.

• Partnership for Community Action SG02 Grant: Projects related to service learning and underserved populations.
• Marcella Jackson Scholarship Fund.
• Psi Iota Xi Sorority.
• FortMeigs Sertoma Club.