About this activity
Twelve deliberate stutters, moving from the room outward: on purpose, b-b-but I already knew that; s-s-Saturday; my name is J-J-Jordan; can I have a t-t-turn; then order a drink with a bounce on the first sound; ask someone the t-t-time; say hello to the office with an easy bounce; answer a question in class with one voluntary bounce; read a paragraph with three planned bounces.
How to use it in a session
Do it yourself first. A clinician who stutters voluntarily in front of the student takes most of the strangeness out of the task, and a student asked to do it alone usually cannot. Keep the bounces easy and light rather than tense — the point is to demonstrate that a stutter can be produced without struggle, which is a different experience from one that happens to you. Twelve minutes covers the room-based cards.
What to listen for
Watch the anxiety drop across the session. Voluntary stuttering is desensitisation: the student discovers that a stutter produced on purpose, in front of someone, is survivable and mostly unremarked. Notice which cards get refused — the out-of-room ones usually, and the refusal is the information rather than a failure.
Carrying it home
Families can support this by not reacting. A voluntary bounce that draws concern from a parent teaches the opposite of what it is for, so it is worth explaining the exercise to them first.
Questions
- Why stutter on purpose?
- Because it removes the fear. A student who has stuttered deliberately and found the conversation continued has learned something no amount of technique practice teaches.
- Do I need an account?
- No, all twelve cards play free.
- What grades is this for?
- Fourth through eighth grade, where students can reflect on their own reactions.