We are the Capital District Council of Fluency for children, teens and adults who stutter.
We believe that stuttering is complex and multidimensional and should be treated in a
synergistic framework. That is, we believe one must work at learning the process of normal
speech and language production, while working on attitudes in environmental situations.
We foster empowerment and provide positive experience to enhance self-esteem, assertiveness
and an internalization of control. These activities constitute a flight to freedom, which is
an ongoing journey that includes our council members, their journey that includes our
council members, their families, and the significant people in their lives. We are also committed
to preparing and mentoring young professionals to serve the needs of people who stutter
and their families.
Our Philosophy: Our synergistic philosophy combines direct work on fluency targets with
attitudinal and environmental components in order to create a holistic program.
Our treatment is individual in order to meet the needs of each client
Our treatment combines individual and group therapy opportunities with short-term
incentive and long term follow up.
Our program integrates principles of fluency shaping and stuttering modification throughout.
Our students in training are closely supervised by a team of professionals who specialize
in fluency therapy.
stuttering pattern and to minimize their feelings of fear and guilt.
We believe that people who stutter can become effective communicators.
We believe that group support is a necessary component of stuttering treatment.
We believe that the journey of partnership, empowerment, and treatment of stuttering
are facilitated by the interaction of council members, students and professionals.
Our Goals:
1. Speech-Language Goals:
To teach the targets of normal speech production.
To teach the process of monitoring
targets and the method of changing disfluencies to
fluency.
To monitor carryover of target production
in the individual session, the group session
and
the environment.
2.
Attitudinal Goals:
To provide opportunities for council members
to grow in self-esteem, a sense of control
and assertiveness.
To provide experiences of overcoming fears
and anxieties related to stuttering behaviors.
To foster open communication about the feelings
connected with stuttering
To help each person who stutters recognize
that they are not alone.
3.
Environmental Goals:
To create a collaborative environment where
members who stutter and those who don’t meet
and
assist each other.
To mentor those interested in stuttering: new
council members, graduate students, children,
adolescents,
parents, families and professionals.
To continue to reach out to every aspect of every
day life so that avoidances are soon
replaced
by communication successes.
What Our Council Members
Say:
“What we can’t do along, we can do together.”
“Stuttering only defeats us when it silences us.”
“I’ve come to realize that I can control my speech and enhance
my life.”
“I have become an effective member in a communicating world.”
“By coming to Council, I found my voice. Children do it at 10 months.
I did it at Council.”
“I just wish that my deceased parents could see what I have done.
They wouldn’t believe it!”
A Note to Prospective Members:
“We know how hard it is so simply face the fact that you’re
a person who stutters. All of us
too clearly remember how nervous and embarrassed we were when we came
to our first Council
Meeting. Yet we also remember how relieved we were when we found out things
about stuttering
that we were always to ashamed to ask about. We can’t promise you
a quick cure, but we can
promise you understanding, practical help, a program that works and many
pairs of
‘only-too-glad-to-listen’ ears.”
Written by a Council Member
When and Where We Meet:
The College of Saint Rose Campus
Lally School of Education
Emery Educational & Clinical Services Center
1009 Madison Avenue
Albany, New York, 12203
Every Monday Night that class is in session.
Children and
Teens: 7:40 PM- 8:30 PM; ages 7-18 yrs
Adults:
8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Who to Contact for Information:
A.S.H.A. Team of Recognized Fluency Specialists:
Sister Charleen Bloom, Ph.D.,Council
Coordinator
Phone: 518-454-5122
Email: bloomc@mail.strose.edu
Donna Cooperman, D.A.
Phone: 518-458-5357
Email: dcooperman@aol.com
Joseph Klein, Ph.D.
Phone: 518-454-5205
Email: kleinj@mail.strose.edu
