Thanks for posting a question. Voluntary stuttering is a specific strategy used by people who stutter to learn to react to their stuttering in a new fashion. It is, in part, based on the psychological concept of negative practice.

Your questions seem to be more related to why someone who does not stutter might copy the speech of someone who does. Let me see if I can answer your questions. But, before I do, that, I’ve got a few questions for you.

When your son stutters, what does it sound like? Does it ever seem like he’s “stuck” on a word or sound? Has your son ever stuttered in the past? What about when he was a young child? Keep in mind that stuttering can range from “pronounced’ (frequently getting stuck on words, prolongations of sounds/words and repetitions, visible and audible secondary behaviors) to more mild forms of stuttering (infrequent repeatitions of sounds/words, getting stuck on words periodically).

When you point out to him that he’s stuttering, how does he respond? Does he get upset or act like he’s not doing it on purpose? What about your husband? Do you and your husband ever talk about stuttering? Did he stutter as a child? Would he describe his periodic stuttering the same way you have (strategically used to get someone’s full attention when asking questions)?

You’re right that people sometimes use tricks or strategies to hold the floor or grab other’s attention when speaking. Some people might speak with many repetitions, filler words, or hesitations. They might speak extra loud or soft, or do a variety of things. However, these tricks are often completely separate from stuttering. Stuttering is usually a developmental problem, so it is not simply picked up as a habit. When stuttering occurs in a person who stutter’s speech, It is a temporary physical loss of control. It can be very fatiguing.

I’m not ruling out that your son is copying his friends speech a bit. I’m also not ruling out that he actually stutters, perhaps to a lesser extent.

I’m eager to read your response.

Also, thanks for sharing the activity you did with parents of kids who stutter. I might have to steal that!

I use VS a lot, especially when I am giving a presentation about stuttering. I find it helps me right away to put it out there, and volitionally model the different ways I might stutter.

I have also used VS at the beginning of Toastmaster speeches. It helps quell any wonder or surprise that someone who doesn’t know I stutter may have, and prepare them for a real one.

I helped run a parent workshop last month at a stuttering youth day. For most of the parents, it was their first experience with group support as parents of kids who stutter. I led them through an exercise of voluntary stuttering with a partner and then talking about how it felt. It was powerful. Some moms broke down. It really helps a non-pws understand the experience, and it helps me feel more in control.

I am not 100% comfortable using VS in one-on-one situations when meeting someone new socially. That fear of judgment still creeps in. A sign that I still need to work on it.

Pam

Since I completed the Intensive Program at AIS, I never used voluntary stuttering but I did self-advertised. I found it helpful on some word to voluntary stutter. For example, I have a hard time saying the “F” sounds and the number “7.” When I know I’m going to have a hard time, I say ” f-f-f-five or etc. This helps a lot but now I must focus on eye contact when I do voluntary stuttering.

Serge

Are you using any voluntary stuttering lately?