Lise G. Cloutier-Steele - Living & Learning with a Child Who Stutters: From a Parents Point of View

Regardless of having worked in the area of fluency for 5 years, I continue to be surprised by the insensitivity and injustices to which people who stutter are subjected. I have known Lise since 1991, and have followed the progression of her sons stuttering and therapy. I always sympathized with her, as I do with all families in such situations, but I did not realize until reading this book the number of challenges faced by Lucas and his family. Unfortunately, they are not alone. It is my hope that society will come to recognize stuttering for what it is, but also what it is not. Lise has shown much courage in exposing her and her sons private moments, sharing the joy and frequent hardship which accompany this disorder. She also takes the reader one important step further by providing practical suggestions and advice to parents and teachers.

Karen Luker, B.A., M.H.Sc.
Speech-Language Pathologist

Living and Learning With a Child who Stutters affords the reader a sensitive and personalized glimpse into the daily problems and frustrations encountered by a child who stutters and the efforts of a caring family to help him cope. Parents will identify. Professionals will be reminded of longstanding gaps in service for children who stutter and of the need to advocate for improvements within their respective work milieus. All readers will appreciate this book for the insight and learning experience it provides.

Terrence J. Laughlin, Ph.D., C.Psych., Psychologist
Chief of Psychological Services for the Ottawa Board of Education

Having grown up as a child who stuttered severely, and as an adult who, while I have been fairly successful in coping with my problem, nevertheless still have to contend with it, I can comment from my own experience on Mrs. Cloutier-Steeles account. I have been aware of the authors work since seeing a very informative and sensitive TVOntario program on stuttering, which prompted me to write to her and compliment her on her efforts to gain better understanding for those of us who stutter, but particularly for children who are subjected to all sorts of painful stresses due to ignorance and insensitivity. This personal account of sufferings, and also the achievements of a child who stutters and of his family certainly rings true. I have no hesitation in recommending it as valuable reading both for the parents of children who stutter, and for professionals such as teachers who need to develop a sensitive understanding of stuttering.

David Radcliffe, Ph.D., Associate Dean, Faculty of Education
University of Western Ontario

I have just finished reading Living and Learning With a Child who Stutters and found it a sensitive, honest portrayal of the trials and heartaches facing parents of stuttering children. At times humorous, at times tragic, the book documents a mothers quest to ensure that her stuttering son receive both a quality education and the best speech therapy possible. As strange as it may seem, in these modern times, the most basic right of a good education and quality special services all too often are not readily attainable for parents of children who stutter. Teachers administrators and, unfortunately, many speech-language pathologists are unaware of the impact stuttering has on a childs educational and social progress. My hope is that Mrs. Cloutier-Steeles experience will encourage the rest of us to increase our efforts on behalf of children who stutter and their parents.

Carl W. Dell Jr., Ph.D., Speech-Language Pathologist
Associate Professor, Eastern Illinois University

From a Parents Point of View

LISE G. CLOUTIER-STEELE

NC PRESS LIMITED
TORONTO, 1995

Photograph of Lise G. Cloutier-Steele by The Bay, Ottawa.

Front cover photograph by David Lancaster.

Back cover photograph of the film crew and the authors family, left to right: Jonathan, Lise, Lucas with their dog Cooper, David,

Paul, Jim, Peter and Vladimir.

Cover Design by Gerry Ginsberg.

Lise G. Cloutier-Steele, 1995.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of NC Press Limited.

Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data

Main Entry under title:

Cloutier-Steele, Lise G. (Lise Ginette), 1952-Living and learning with a child who stutters

(FAMILYbooks)

ISBN 1-55021-094-7

1. Stuttering in children. 2. Speech therapy for children. I. Title.

RJ496.S8C56 1995 618.928554 C95-931200-5

We would like to thank the Ontario Arts Council, the Ontario Publishing Centre, the Ontario Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Recreation, the Ontario Development Corporation, the Canada Council and the Government of Canada, Department of Canadian Heritage and the Association for the Export of Canadian Books, for their assistance in the production and marketing of this book.

New Canada Publications, a division of NC Press Limited,
Box 452, Station A, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5W 1H8.

Printed and bound in Canada

Dedication

To the memory of our friend Marie Poulos

The whole area of stuttering has suffered from the apathy and ignorance of the medical and teaching professions and their lack of understanding of the difficulties raised by dysfluency in group situations, the acute pain of social censure from childhood onwards, and the destruction of lives by societys attitudes. The time has come for changes in the attitude of politicians, educators, doctors and the general public towards people who stutter. It is long overdue...

Jock Carlisle, Ph.D
Scientist and Author of TANGLED TONGUE

My sincere thanks go out to the following individuals and treatment centre for their significant contributions to Living and Learning with a Child Who Stutters:Sally Bowman, Associate Professor Emeritus of Speech Pathology, author of Everything You Should Know About Stuttering, Indiana Universitys School of Medicine (U.S.A.), Jock Carlisle, Ph.D., author of Tangled Tongue,David Radcliffe, Associate Dean, Faculty of Education, The University of Western Ontario, Margo of Sarnia, Ontario, Bob Ireland, Assistant Superintendent, the Metropolitan Separate School Board, Toronto, Ontario, Paula Moss, B. Med. Sci, Hons, Speech-Language Pathologist, Willowdale, Ontario, William G. Webster, Ph.D., co-author of Facilitating Fluency, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Douglas H. Fullerton, O.C., M. Com., LL.D., D.U.C., Ottawa, Ontario, The Communications Disorders Department of the Rehabilitation Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Carl Dell Jr., Ph.D., Speech-Language Pathologist, author of Treating the School-aged Stutterer, Speech and Hearing Clinic, Eastern Illinois University (U.S.A.), Janice Westbrook, Ph.D., M.Ed., CCC-SP, Editor of The Staff, Garland, Texas (U.S.A.) and David Forster, M.Sc., for his invaluable scientific input.

I am equally grateful to the five specialists who reviewed my manuscript: Terrence J. Laughlin, Ph.D., C.Psych., Chief of Psychological Services, the Ottawa Board of Education,