RICHARDSON, Texas (May 14, 2003) — Speech
pathologists at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) will expand their popular summer therapy
sessions for youngsters who stutter with the addition of a second speech “camp.”
For the fourth consecutive year, the university will
offer its “Tricks for Talking” program twice a week for a period of six weeks, beginning
June 9. The program is designed for children who need to learn new ways to manage their stuttering,
either because they have been unsuccessful in previous speech therapy or have not been in therapy
before.
In addition, “Speak Out!,” a therapeutic
program inaugurated last fall as an after-school session, will be offered during the summer for the
first time this year. Speak Out!, which will begin June 10 and be held two days a week for six weeks,
is aimed at youngsters who have learned some strategies to manage their speech, but require more
practice incorporating the techniques into everyday conversations.
Although aimed at children and adolescents in different
stages of the therapeutic process, both programs have the same goal – to provide an enjoyable, supportive
atmosphere in which people for whom stuttering is a chronic problem can practice strategies to improve
speech fluency, said Natasha Anderson, a speech language pathologist at UTD’s Callier Center for
Communication Disorders. Anderson and her colleague, Janice W. Lougeay, a member of the UTD faculty
in communications disorders, direct the two speech programs.
“Talking for most people is enjoyable, but it
can be a stressful activity for those who stutter,” said Anderson. “In Tricks for Talking
and Speak Out!, students learn to manage and control their fluency while interacting with their peers
and receiving support from clinicians. The result is usually an increased level of confidence and
improved speech.”
Both programs feature small- and large-group therapy
activities to enable students to practice their speech. These include videotaped productions, interactive
games and public speaking.
Therapy is provided by UTD graduate students in communications
disorders, specially trained in stuttering assessment and intervention, under the guidance of the
clinical faculty. The camps are conducted on the UTD campus in Richardson.
Enrollment in both programs is limited – 17 students
in Tricks for Talking and just eight in Speak Out! – in order to provide the maximum possible attention
to each student. As a result, both summer camps are fully enrolled and the university now has a waiting
list for those who wish to participate. However, openings are available for next fall’s Speak Out!
after-school program.
For information on costs, schedules and enrollment
procedures of UTD’s speech fluency programs, please contact Anderson at 972-883-2250 or tasha@speechspecialists.com or
Lougeay at 214-905-3114 or Lougeay@utdallas.edu.
Both Anderson and Lougeay are speech language pathologists
with extensive experience in treating individuals who stutter. Lougeay also teaches classes in stuttering
therapy at UTD. Anderson served as a fluency consultant for the Richardson Independent School District
for several years.
About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart
of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor,
enrolls more than 13,000 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront
of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment
of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please
visit the university’s Web site at http://www.utdallas.edu.