Question
I have a 12 1/2 year old male who was referred to me due to concerns about unusual speech patterns. He speaks with little variation in intonation and he elongates some vowel sounds. The elongations are short, but definitely noticeable. As far as I have o
Answer
Thanks for the question. It sounds like the prolonged speech might be a progression of some of the earlier disfluencies noted (e.g., repetitions and interjections). The fact that he speaks with little intonation might make me think that he is aware of the disfluencies on some level. In fact, the slight prolongations may be his compensatory strategy that he has developed not to have as many noticeable repetitions. I'd want to find out how this child interacts in various settings and social situations and may even administer something like the ACES (www.stutteringcenter.org) to look at attitudes and emotions associated with stuttering.
If he truly does not have any awareness or frustration toward his speech, and it doesn't impact him at all, I might not be too concerned about slight elongations. However, if it is something that he is bothered by, or impacts his life, then you'll have to help him become more aware of it, and more importantly, teach him what to do when it happens.
Treatment may include stuttering modification techniques such as pull-outs and cancellations. Speech modification strategies may also be indicated, particularly easy starts or light contacts. Treatment may also include a large amount of education on stuttering.
Craig E. Coleman is a Clinical Coordinator at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and Co-Director of the Stuttering Center of Western Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at the University of Pittsburgh. Craig is the current President of the Pennsylvania Speech and Hearing Association and elected member of the ASHA Legislative Council.
Craig Coleman, M.A.,CCC-SLP
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