For some people who stutter control has become so intertwined with talking that to give it up seems very strange. They believe that it is normal to think of what words you are going to say and how to form the sounds. They can’t imagine not doing that when they talk (even though they don’t do it when they are talking to themselves). Other people use control as a crutch. They know how to speak without control, but they are afraid to let go.

Actually the more people try not to stutter, the more control they exert over their speech. That is why chasing fluency has always been a no win battle. When people who stutter give up their fear of stuttering and any negative feelings that they have toward themselves because they stutter, they are often more open to giving up control. Speaking fluently requires using the normal automatic processes of producing speech. Giving up control is essential.

We know that the goal of modern stuttering therapy is usually to learn to use speech tools. People who stutter are guided to think about what they want to say and how to say it. They are asked to:

• Change the rhythm of speech or speak slowly.
• Reduce struggle behavior with pullouts and cancellations, preparatory sets.
• Remember to stutter on purpose
• Control how the mouth and breath forms various classes of speech sounds
• Control breathing and pause after short phrases

Although these “tools” may reduce the strength or frequency of stuttering blocks, they are really asking the speaker to add more control over speech. People are meant to be produced speech automatically, but speech tools support controlled speech. It is no wonder, therefore, that the use of these tools causes frustration and takes away from the joy and freedom of speaking naturally. Speech tools also interfere with the natural quality of speech and make it harder to express mood and the speaker’s real personality through normal patterns of intonation.

People often give up on speech tools and resign themselves to believing that their only other option is to continue to stutter. As much as they want to find ways to be more fluent, they are locked into their belief that their only choice is speech tools or stuttering. They can’t accept what there is now another option that guides people who stutter to speak fluently by learning to give up control.

Dynamic Stuttering Therapy is what both clinicians and clients have hoped for. It shows people who stutter how to speak without effort, thought or control over words or speech muscles. The speech produced is natural and expresses the speaker’s feelings. People who stutter can learn to speak fluently without having to use speech tools.

For those who have hoped for something better than speech tools, Dynamic Stuttering Therapy is the answer.

Those of you, who have followed my writings, have heard me say that, according to psycholinguistic experts, speaking must be an automatic process. Automaticity is the requirement for fluent speech. The development of language happens automatically without thinking about the words. Controlling the choice of words, preplanning and scanning ahead is not part of normal speech production.

If you are a person who stutters, when do you stutter most? Is it when you forget that you are speaking or when you try to control your speech so that you will not stutter? We know that many people stutter less when they are alone, caring less about stuttering and taking less control over speaking.

Thinking about words is one form of control. Another is trying to control how you say the words. This involves using a controlled motor program. Sometimes the control of muscle movements is conscious, but at other times the control is subconscious. Many motor programs can be carried out on either a controlled mode or in an automatic mode. Automatic programming is always more efficient, more stable and faster than controlled programming.

Let’s take a minute to experience the difference between controlled and automatic programming. For an example, we can use the movement of the eyelids. Purposefully open and close your eyelids. When you do this you are using a controlled movement program. Do the movements feel heavier, more labored and slower than those automatic movements of your lids that occur throughout the day?

The same difference can occur regarding the speech muscles. We know that in order to speak theses muscles must also move with light, extremely rapid and miniscule movements. This requires the automatic mode. When control is used, muscle movement becomes more labored and, often, muscle groups not normally used to speak are activated. The fluid movement of speaking is compromised and the stuttering symptoms so often associated with lack of control happen because the program used to process speech is one that involves too much control.