What The Neurodiversity Movement Taught Me About Stuttering

Here at AIS, we strive to feature the perspectives of various voices in the stuttering community. In this special guest blog, SLP and stutterer Joe Dombro discusses lessons he has learned from his work with autistic clients in the schools, and the paralells he has seen that apply to the stuttering experience.

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What the Neurodiversity Affirming Movement has taught me about Stuttering

As a stuttering speech-language pathologist, one of the many difficult things I have to consider every day is the delicate balance between research-based therapy and social justice. I am well aware of the intense negative feelings and anxiety that stutterers carry. I believe that considering a person’s feelings and attitude regarding their disability is the most important aspect of speech therapy for a stutterer. But while it may seem strange, I think it’s usually best to encourage a stutterer to speak freely without hiding their choppy speech.

A very similar phenomenon is happening in the world of speech therapy when it comes to treating autism. Many people refer to this as the “neurodiversity affirming movement,” and it’s one of the most polarizing topics in the field today. While there are many forms of neurodiversity, autism spectrum disorder is at the forefront of this movement. It’s important to understand that some people’s brains are wired differently and that it’s natural for some to communicate in a manner not considered “typical.” The sudden shift from “fixing” autism to celebrating and accepting these differences has been a tough pill to swallow for some. This is especially true for therapists that have been taught to write goals encouraging autistic people to fit a certain mold.

I’ve had my share of stuttering cases in the school setting, but when I started to learn more about the neurodiversity movement, it inspired me to become the speech therapist for the autism program at my school. There, I found that stuttering and autism share many of the same characteristics. I believe that the neurodiversity affirming movement can teach us a lot about stuttering.

1. Masking

In the United States, if students need extra support they may have an Individualized Education Program. Part of this includes a list of goals for each student set by special education teachers and therapists. Often, far too many of these goals for autistic students revolve around social skills that “typical” people demonstrate. Maintaining eye contact, staying on topic during a conversation, and reducing stimming behaviors (repetitive movements or vocalizations that are meant to regulate their emotions and manage anxiety) are just a few examples of goals that I see. Goals like this cause autistic students to mask their behaviours to fit in with their peers.

The truth is, we shouldn’t force an autistic person to engage in social behaviors that make them uncomfortable. Autistic people prefer to work on more functional skills, like requesting help, communicating wants and needs, and describing boundaries. Similarly, I have seen too many “fluency-enhancing” stuttering goals that force stutterers to sound like someone they are not. “Stretching” is the most common strategy to eliminate stuttering. This is done by intentionally slowing down speech and prolonging certain sounds in a word. While this can reduce stuttering, the speaking voice often sounds robotic and inauthentic. Whether masking occurs in autistic people or stutterers, the result is both mentally taxing and difficult to maintain. I can’t speak for everyone, but in my experience, most stutterers prefer their authentic speaking voice, as choppy as it may sound. The best approach is to discuss how to take control of their moments of stuttering, while reducing physical tension and anxiety. I think it’s always best to encourage the student or client to embrace their disability.

2. Identity-First Language

Using “person-first” language (such as “person with autism” or “person who stutters”) appears to be considerate on the face of it. It’s an acknowledgement that there is more to the person than their disability. However, many people are proud of their disability and find that their identity lies within their differences. When it comes to autism, many studies would show that the term “autistic” is preferred. I am not aware of any similar studies regarding stuttering, but a case could be made that their circumstances are similar.

As burdensome as stuttering may be, many people use their experience of stuttering to build a better life for themselves and others. Sometimes, this means studying to become a speech-language pathologist in order to treat stuttering. Others may organize support groups for kids and adults alike. Whatever the case may be, many people feel that stuttering is a prideful part of their existence, and shouldn’t be thought of as “secondary” to the person. My advice to anyone who knows or works with a stutterer: Ask them how they want to be addressed.

3. Family Counseling

Perhaps the most important aspect of treating autism and stuttering is to approach the family or individual with reasonable expectations. Many believe that speech therapy is a means to “fix” autism or stuttering. In reality, both conditions will remain with the person in some manner throughout their entire life. We owe it to families to be honest about this and explain that supporting autonomy and management of undesirable tension or anxiety will lead to a better quality of life.

I believe that the neurodiversity affirming movement has been greatly beneficial to the autistic community in recent years. One of the biggest shifts I have noticed is that teachers and therapists focus more on the unique strengths that autistic students possess, rather than seeing autism as a disease that needs to be cured. While the stuttering community has also experienced more acceptance, I hope that the neurodiversity affirming movement reaches even more areas of stuttering that are often overlooked.

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The American Institute for Stuttering is a leading non-profit organization whose primary mission is to provide universally affordable, state-of-the-art speech therapy to people of all ages who stutter, guidance to their families, and much-needed clinical training to speech professionals wishing to gain expertise in stuttering. Offices are located in New York, NY, Atlanta, GA, and services are also available online. Our mission extends to advancing public and scholarly understanding of this often misunderstood disorder.

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This post was written by an American Stuttering Institute guest author. Our guest authors include past and current clients, speech therapy educators, and industry experts.

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