Power R Game Managing Stuttering

By Gordon Blood

Stuttering Foundation of America

Why work on Attitudes and Feelings

• 1. My attitude is what changes my reality• Cognitive perceptions and opinions aid persons

who stutter in constructively attending to specific stimuli every time a person stutters.

• Other specific cognition may also cause persons who stutter to misread a situation, try to predict what others are thinking or make general assumptions about their speech performance

• These cognitive modes or triggers typical affect future behaviors.

Stutters beliefs usually include

• 1. Their stuttering is constantly changing• 2. Going to a clinician for treatment is important• 3. Following a daily routine for practicing is

important• 4. Monitoring thoughts, images and feelings about

stuttering is a healthy part of living and enables them to adjust to their changing stuttering problem

A major part of stuttering therapy with adolescents and young

adults, along with working on behavioral change, IS

PROVIDING the appropriate environment in which to discuss

and experiment with different coping strategies, different

attitudes and different feelings.

• Few professionals are better equipped and qualified than professionally trained Speech-Language Pathologists to understand the RELATION SHIP between attitude and behavior in stuttering

• Therapy should encourage the development of problem-solving skills, creative solutions and new ideas about stuttering, and correct misperceptions about the cause and facts of stuttering.

The Power R Game is based on the

Health Belief Model (HBM0 by Becker in 1974.

Game as designed to incorporate cognitive abilities, individual

characteristics of the adolescent and the influence of specific

contexts.

4 Components of the Power R Game

• 1. Client’s own perception of the disorder’s severity

• The deciding factor in seeking treatment

• 2. Client’s belief in their susceptibility to the disorder if treatment is not sought– An avoidance solution is to ‘avoid’ people and

situation, words that make them stutter instead of seeking therapy

• 3. Client's belief in the efficacy of the treatment – An individual who seeks treatment must believe that

the treatment will result in positive change!

• 4. Client’s belief that the benefits of therapy outweigh its costs– Costs include monetary, time, embarrassment, and risks

confronting the disorder– Benefits include…..– THE BENEFITS MUST OUTWEIGH the costs

Power R Game

• Object of Game:• To discuss client’s attitudes and feelings about

themselves and their stuttering

• Game can be used as a

– Starting point for creating a safe environment to discuss their feelings and attitudes about stuttering

– As a way to help young people who stutter deal with stuttering and develop coping strategies and choices about the disorder

Power R Game Topics

• Permission-– Expectation for therapy

Ownershipfocus on ownership and the ‘cure' expectation

Well-being and taking ownership of their livesstrategies for relieving stress, taking charge of their lives

Esteem of selfdefine limiting beliefs

Resilienceone way to get control of stuttering

End of Discussion

• To order,

• Stuttering Foundation of America

• 1-800-992-9392