Cancellation and Pull-Out in Conversation

Stuttering modification tools practiced where they are actually used -- mid-conversation.

Use with a student — free
Page 1 of 8
Stutter, finish the word, pause, then say it again with an easy start. That's a cancellation.
Say it out loud
This pass0 correct · 0 cued · 0 incorrect · 0/8
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Session summary (SOAP)

Stays on this screen. Nothing is saved or sent.

Mark a card Correct, Correct with cue or Incorrect and the summary writes itself here.

How to run it

Do them on purpose, including on words the student did not stutter on. Voluntary practice removes the pressure of having to catch a real moment and builds the motor habit where it can actually be rehearsed. The two reflective cards — which felt more usable, and where in your day is a cancellation too slow — are not filler; they are how the student decides what to keep. Twenty minutes with real conversation in it beats a session of technique drills.

Cueing ladder

Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.

  1. Step 1IndependentThe student catches a stuttering moment and uses the technique on their own.Log as correct
  2. Step 2SignalUse a silent signal you agreed on after a moment the student let pass.Log as cued
  3. Step 3ReminderRemind them: 'Pause, then say it again slowly and easily.'Log as cued
  4. Step 4ModelPut a pretend stutter into your own speech and show the technique on it; the student copies.Log as cued

Adjust it

Easier

Practise on pretend stutters the student plans, before real ones.

Harder

Use the technique on real moments during a conversation, with no signal from you.

Matching IEP goal

During structured conversation, Student will use cancellation or pull-out on moments of stuttering in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than a nonverbal signal.

Send it home through the parent portal →

About this activity

Eight tasks that move two stuttering modification tools out of the drill and into talking: stutter, finish the word, pause, then say it again with an easy start — that is a cancellation; catch a block in the middle and ease out of it without stopping — that is a pull-out; do one of each on purpose during a two-minute conversation; use a pull-out during a phone call. The techniques are usually taught in isolation and then never appear in speech, which is the gap this addresses.

What to listen for

Listen for the tool surviving outside the session. A pull-out used in your room is a rehearsal; one used on a phone call is the skill. Notice which the student prefers — cancellation is more thorough and slower, pull-out is faster and harder, and most students settle on pull-outs for real conversation and cancellations for prepared speech. That preference is data about their life, not a failure to master both.

Carrying it home

Families can help by not reacting to a cancellation. A repeated word with a slow easy start sounds odd to someone who does not know what it is, and a raised eyebrow at the dinner table can end the practice for good.

What's in this activity

  • Stutter, finish the word, pause, then say it again with an easy start. That's a cancellation.
  • Catch a block in the middle and ease out of it without stopping. That's a pull-out.
  • Do one cancellation on purpose during a two-minute conversation.
  • Do one pull-out on purpose while telling a story.
  • Which felt more usable in real conversation -- cancellation or pull-out?
  • Try a preparatory set: ease into a word you predict you'll block on.
  • Use a pull-out during a phone call.
  • Where in your day is a cancellation too slow to be worth using?

Questions

What is the difference between the two?
A cancellation happens after the word is finished — pause, then say it again with an easier start. A pull-out happens during the block — you ease out of it without stopping. Pull-outs are faster and harder to learn.
Is it free?
Yes, all eight tasks are free to use with no account.
What ages is this for?
Ninth through twelfth grade, where students can reflect on which tool fits which situation.

Use this board with your caseload

With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.

Track progress free

Free for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.