Fluency Practice Tips for Stutterers

My first language is Stuttering English. My second language is Fluent English. Speaking fluent English is akin to speaking a second language, and it requires ongoing maintenance and daily practice. Here are some ways I stay on target:

Written by Stan Craig

Designate a Time for Daily Practice

• Wake up 30 mins early to practice targets and breathing techniques in private- it sets your intention for the day and centers your brain for fluent targets.
• On the way to work or school, practice dialogue with family and friends, such as introducing yourself or telling a short story.
• Designate a time to practice before bed, which might support learning and recall of your speech targets.
• According to Chronobiology.com, "people who study before bedtime, regardless of the material they are trying to learn, may have better memory and recall. These findings may help students to study more effectively and learn information with less effort."

Schedule Time with a Friend to Transfer

• Transferring with a friend will feel familiar and foster a connection.

• Transferring with a friend will encourage accountability.

Practice Transfers During Game Play

• Transferring during play can lessen anxiety, foster natural transfers, and build multi-tasking skills.

• For younger children, enjoy a board game or outdoor activity while transferring. 

• For older children, teens, and adults, transfer during athletics, such as running or shooting hoops with friends.

Practice Pragmatic Transfers In Social Settings

• Practice transfers by making phone calls with friends.

• Practice transfers by making phone calls to businesses to ask about their hours of operation.
  

• Practice transfers by ordering food in restaurants or drive-thrus.

• Practice transfers in loud settings, such as restaurants or crowded areas.

• Practice transfers by inserting yourself into conversations with friends.
  

• Practice transfers by seeking help from a colleague or teacher in-person rather than email.
  

Slow Down Your Speech

• Slowing down provides time to collect yourself and recenter your intentions.

• Slowing down provides time to breathe enough to produce your sounds.

• Slowing down provides time to elongate your sounds and syllables.

Find Support through a Mentor

• Lean on someone who also stutters who will understand and value your perspective and experiences.

• Share your struggles, ask for advice, and make a connection.

• Become a mentor and share your experiences. Show your empathy.

Show Yourself Grace

• You will have days, even seasons, of disfluency- it's expected, so be kind to yourself and know a set-back does not define you.

• If you have to stutter, then stutter. Honor your path and where you are on a given day, and be reminded that you can try again tomorrow.

• Take time for self-care. Engage in activities that bring you joy, take your mind off your stutter, and provide space for recovery and renewal.