Speakeasy New Zealand - speech therapy

Dinner at restaurant proves popular

By Stephen Hoare-Vance

of the Canterbury branch

Over winter, the Canterbury Speak Easy branch has been gathering momentum. It can be hard to balance priorities with a busy lifestyle. It pays to remember where our fluency came from.

We’ve kept up monthly committee meetings. We have, with Marty Van der Kley’s help, been having minutes typed and emailed or sent to committee members to save reading them at the next meeting. Having minutes electronically stored can be useful as two organisations have already asked to see confirmation of decisions. Through Barry Hay, we were successful in gaining a grant from the Lion Foundation, and some of it will be used for advertising.

In June, about 10 members and partners attended a dinner at the Riccarton Buffet Restaurant. This type of activity had been suggested by members and we hope to be able to do more like it.

Marty Van der Kley attended a speech therapy intensive course at the Communication Disorders Department, University of Canterbury. I attended some support group meetings for graduates of the McGuire Programme where Bruce Whitfield is a leader.

Some members and non-members have been assisting Communication Disorders students in learning about group treatment for stuttering. It was well attended. We also kept open the option of attending regular Speak Easy meetings on the first and third Thursdays of the month at the Christchurch College of Education but not many took up the offer.

We have begun planning for the 2006 Speak Easy Conference in Dunedin. We are collating a list of members and currently have 13 financial members.

Setting goals for ourselves and achieving them . . .

By Marty Van der Kley

of Christchurch

Have you ever stopped to think what your goals or ambitions are?

We can still be achievers in life, even though our fluency might not always be the greatest.

There may be times when our fluency isn’t as good as we want it to be. It can be frustrating at times and can lower self-esteem.

This, however, does not need to stop us from setting goals and doing what we want to — just like any other person who sets goals for themselves and achieves.

I have been through mentoring programmes, which encourage individuals to set goals for themselves. I’ve learnt that, by setting goals and wanting to be an achiever, it gives us something to channel our energy into while also providing motivation to find ways to achieve our desired results and outcomes.

One of my big goals for 2003-04 was to attend the Seventh World Congress for People Who Stutter, which was held in Perth in February 2004. I achieved it eventually, although it took quite a bit of effort to organise.

When I first heard there was going to be a world conference on stuttering, I knew this was something I wanted to go to.

Being a person with a speech impediment, opportunities like this can not only be good socially but also act as valuable learning experiences.

As I’ve always liked travelling and trying new experiences, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do this as well as increasing my knowledge and awareness of stuttering and issues surrounding it.

Like many people, there are probably times when the goals we set for ourselves seem too hard or require quite a bit of effort. It can be tempting to give up on our goals.

But we sometimes need to be willing to put in the effort and persevere with the right attitude, along with determination to reach the desired goals and results.

This was the case when I set myself the goal of wanting to attend the 2004 World Congress for People Who Stutter.

Lester Loomes New Zealand Speak Easy President

CANTERBURY BRANCH SPEAK EASY ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 6 MAY 2004

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

It is with great pleasure that I present my annual report for Canterbury Speak Easy.

We have gained three new members for the year, but we still have the old problem of getting members to come along to the meetings. We are going to go back to getting the members to run the meetings so that they can run the meetings how they want.

We have had some sessions with the Speech Therapy students and we have some more starting from 20 May. We had two Booster courses in the last year and one Intensive, both run by Tika Ormand. There is also another Intensive on 9,10,12 June.

We had a more low key World Stuttering Day than in previous years, with just letting people know about stuttering.

We are hosting the National Conference this month and planning is going well. We are booked in at the Cabbage Tree for a meal on the Saturday night.

Our group won the Best Speak Easy group for 2003 and Bruce Whitfield won the Oratory Competition at the Dunedin National Conference.

Some of our members went over to Perth for the World Stuttering Conference and thoroughly enjoyed it and met some great people.

We held our Oratory Competition in April and Bruce Whitfield took it out again – well done Bruce.

I would like to thank Lester Loomes and Marty van der Kley for their help throughout the year, as without them the group would fold. We need new blood on the committee. We need two committee members as we may be losing Lester, so it’s time for the members to put something back into the group.

Barry Hay

2004 PRESIDENT’S REPORT

PRESENTED ON THE 15^TH MAY TO MEMBERS OF THE NEW ZEALAND SPEAK EASY ASSOCIATION,INC AT THEIR ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AT ST.BERNADETTES PARISH HALL,76 HEI HEI ROAD,HORNBY,CHRISTCHURCH.

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Any clubs success is measured by the activity and satisfaction of its membership.How active or inactive have you and your club been over the past year?To attract membership and longterm success we have to present an appealing,vibrant and professional image to everyone in the community with whom we have contact.We can all do this by endeavouring to be positive,and confident while helping to ensure all Speak Easy programmes are carried out to the best of ones ability.

Over the past year we have been implementing many programmes which have become the core of our organisations success.There have been many group meetings throughout the country,speech booster courses,International Stuttering Awareness Day celebrations,Branch reports,oratory competitions,Liason roles within the wider community,as well as the basic administration duties such as fund raising.I sincerely thank you all for your worthy contributions.

For me personally it was very gratifying to attend the 2004 WORLD CONGRESS FOR PEOPLE WHO STUTTER in Perth with others from NZ and to represent our organisation at the tri-ennial meeting of the International Stuttering Association(ISA).It was extremely satisfying to finally see our new pamphlet come to fruition which many Speech Therapists are now aware of.Please help to distribute it widely.

Recently I attended the 2004 annual conference of the NZ Speech Therapists association(NZSTA) in Dunedin.While there,I set up an information stand,collected email addresses for information distribution,and gave a 15 minute speech entitled "STUTTERING:A SPEAK EASY PERSPECTIVE" which was well received.I was told this speech will be published in their next issue of their quarterly magazine COMMUNICATION MATTERS.

We now have a popular member,Warren Brown of Hamilton,on the Board of the ISA,which will allow our voice to be heard at an international level.It is a tremendous honour for Warren and is indicative of the deep respect for him and his quality work all over the world.I’m certain he will do an excellent job at this level.

Your Speak Easy Website continues to receive a substantial number of hits according to the statistical information provided to us by Martin Dabb.Thank you Martin for your practical support.As a member I believe we can do much more with our Website as it is the way of the future.This has started as we now have a PDF file of our new pamphlet on the Web which can be downloaded by anyone,anywhere in the world.We can add to this with our Speak Easy Constitution,guidelines,Oratory rules,minutes,etc.By sharing this information we are helping people from all over the world and will ensure this material is not lost to us as our organisation changes and progresses into the future.

The theme of this Conference: "CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNTIES" allows us to focus upon the future in a positive manner.There is so much to be done for people who stutter,thereby contributing to the ongoing achievement of our Speak Easy objectives.There is Airflow,the new CD-Rom about stuttering, liason roles with other community groups and people,ongoing publicity,National and International Conferences amongst many other initiatives.

As I am not standing this year for any position due to personal circumstances,this is my fourth and final President’s Report to you the members.There are so many people I would like to thank for their ongoing support and encouragement.Without this my role would have been extremely tenuous and difficult.To mention a few there is our Patron,Chief Youth Court Judge,Andrew Becroft,our National Speech Therapy Advisor,Shelley Williams and her predecessor ,Marjorie Blakeley,both from START,Aurelia Margot, the Liason person between us and the NZ Speech Therapists Association,your national executive including Dean Cook,Warren Brown,James Fox,Jason Lai,and Ngaire Renton whon are here representing your interests,as well as many people at Branch level,you know whom you are,and community groups such as the NZ Lottery Grants Board.A huge thank you for your extremely valuable and practical contributions.

I implore and encourage you to support your new executive in any capacity by facing your fears,while exploring the various issues and new initiatives in a responsible and proactive manner,to ensure our membership and organisation marches together positively into the future.

LESTER j.LOOMES

PRESIDENT 2000-2004.

SPEECH TO NZSTA IN DUNEDIN 3/4/04

Title:Stuttering-A Speak Easy Perspective

Members of the NZ Speech Therapists Association, it is indeed a pleasure to be here in Dunedin representing the NZ Speak Easy Association. One thing I don’t need to talk about is what stuttering is and how it can be treated. Any questions could you please save them and ask me at the end or during coffee,that way I won’t get tied up with my words.

I want to talk to you about Speak Easy, what we have been doing and what we intend doing in the future. After treatment we want you to recommend Speak Easy to your clients so they can receive ongoing support from us such as group meetings, information, resources, sharing of stuttering-related problems.There is also the opportunity to learn skills such as the latest speech techniques and leadership in a supportive environment. This will enable our members and our organisation to continue to prosper and grow.

Research undertaken about 1992 by Dr Susan Block from La Trobe University, in Melbourne, proves that people who receive ongoing support in a group such as Speak Easy are less likely to relapse after treatment.

As you know we are a support group for people who stutter and this support can be given in various ways as different people need different forms of support.

Over the past few years we have brought to New Zealand prominent figures in the field of stuttering such as Professor Hugo Gregory and Lena Rushton, made submissions towards various health reforms, hosted an Australian Speak Easy Conference, helped make a television programme about stuttering, hosted International Stuttering Awareness Day, we now have two successful websites, while some of our membership are now starting to attend international conferences.

This past year we have produced a new pamphlet about stuttering and Speak Easy (there are copies there for everyone, and it can also be downloaded from our website), issued four copies of our highly successful Air Flow magazine which is sent all over the world, (I am collecting email addresses for anyone who wants to receive an email version along with other information), attended National Relay Service meetings (to help people who are deaf or have communication difficulties to use the phone), eight members including myself attended the recent World Congress for People Who Stutter in Perth, and now we have a long-term member, Warren Brown, on the board of the International Stuttering Association. The International Stuttering Association has members in more than 40 diverse countries, including New Zealand.Its vision is: "A World Which Understands Stuttering."

The International Stuttering Association has collaborated on a few projects with the International Fluency Association, such as the Bill Of Rights For People Who Stutter (it is pinned up on my stand with other information), the Stuttering Home Page, a new CD-Rom has been produced containing up-to-date information about stuttering which we will copy and give to many schools and libraries around New Zealand over the coming year, as well as ongoing initiatives such as International Stuttering Awareness Day and online conferences.

A future project discussed by the International Stuttering Association with leading figures at Perth, which may involve the International Fluency Association, could involve a team of international speech therapists going into developing countries with minimal resources and treating People Who Stutter. This would be similar to the international organisations Doctors Without Borders and the Fred Hollows Foundation, the group started in Australia by Dr Fred Hollows to treat eye cataracts. Hopefully New Zealand speech therapists will be involved in this new project as it evolves. People in these developing countries say there is no appropriate therapy available and what is available is very basic with minimal resources. Some people in these countries still think stuttering is caused by an act of God while many charlatans are treating people. The next International Stuttering Association conference will be held in Croatia. Hopefully New Zealand will have an excellent representation there.

Have you heard of the Stuttering Iceberg? This is represented with the stuttering being the part above the water line. Commonly this is what is being treated when in reality what is underneath the water – represented by our feelings, fears, attitudes and how we relate to others – is what many people who stutter all over the world say isn’t being treated. This needs to be addressed. This is reinforced by the Harrison Hexagon, which forms part of the basis of the McGuire Programme where all the points inter-relate with each other.

I have heard Speech Therapist’s rightly say they are not skilled in this highly specialised area. As your profession evolves, I feel to meet the needs of People Who Stutter, your training will need to involve these aspects to a greater degree. Otherwise people will feel they are not receiving appropriate treatment for their needs and this could have an adverse impact upon your profession, which would be a shame. Hopefully a cure will be found for stuttering before this happens, rather than laborious techniques which require tremendous amounts of commitment and practice.

As people gain a degree of fluency, improved confidence and self-esteem, there is still sometimes a feeling something is still lacking. As we all know, many People Who Stutter are sometimes bullied, mocked, feel socially isolated and inferior and so on which can and does impact very severely upon many different personalities. Treating just the stuttering speech, which is essential for some, only goes part of the way to treating the problem. People Who Stutter need greater access with a lower cost structure to other services, such as psychiatrists and counselors, to enable them to explore the host of issues associated with their unique stuttering problems. What is your experience?

I agree totally with your statement in the March issue of Communication Matters concerning referrals to the McGuire Programme. In New Zealand and in many countries overseas, they are now treating more People Who Stutter than the recognised speech professionals. Why is this happening? I believe it is offering nothing new and is very expensive initially, which is possibly why people are forced to commit themselves to the ongoing programme, especially if they really do want improved fluency skills. For some people, treatment is not a priority as some are quite accepting of their stutter and do not want treatment – just to be able to have others accept them for whom they are as people. In Perth, there was talk about future Australian research into the McGuire Programme, which may allay a few concerns about its scientific base. In New Zealand at Speak Easy, we do mention the McGuire Programme to people, as one of a range of options, as what works for some will not necessarily work for others and who are we to deny people something which may assist them in their quest for fluency.

What I am about to say now may seem controversial but I believe is also an issue preventing people from receiving appropriate treatment. Experts say 1 per cent of the general population stutter which equates to about 40,000 people in NZ with varying degrees of dysfluency. We are not even reaching 1 per cent of these people.

Why is this? Is the system failing people who stutter? I cannot and will not accept the fact that many People Who Stutter would not want to receive appropriate treatment, which I believe contributes to an improved lifestyle with increased expectations for many people.

I believe many People Who Stutter do not know how to access treatment. This may even include our GPs and other professionals, and I have heard a few horror stories over the years. I believe the services of the Speech Language Therapy profession need to be marketed more effectively to reach not only People Who Stutter but also all people who use your professional services.

As your profession evolves, I believe this will start to happen more and possibly many of your members may expect this to happen also. I see evidence of this in your magazine and the newspapers, with initiatives such as our Speak Easy liaison person who is doing an excellent job, the progress (in Christchurch) from a diploma to a degree course with registration, and Speech Language Therapy Awareness Day and I believe there will also come an emphasis on updating skills in specific areas, such as Naturalness rather than Smooth Speech.

Earlier I made reference to the Seventh World Congress For People Who Stutter in Perth, which I attended this year. (The next congress will be held in Croatia in 2007.) There were many Speech Therapists from all over the world but sadly only one from New Zealand attended that I was aware of. This was disappointing but one is heaps better than none. I can understand the reasons for people not attending.

There were many highly professional international speakers such as Professor David Shapiro, Professor Gerald Maguire, Shinjo Ito, Professor Peggy Wahlhaus, Judith Eckardt, Professor Ashley Craig presenting various communication workshops, perspectives on stuttering, latest research, self-help groups, topics for children, parents and teachers, as well as topics associated with employment, discrimination, and personal success stories. There was a tremendous amount of information there to allow any Speech Language Therapist to update their knowledge of stuttering issues, diverse therapies, enhance their careers as well as network with other Speech Therapists from all over the world. This culminated in a series of international perspectives of the self-help movement – the past, the present and future directions.

One of the most exciting things for me, apart from the many stimulating workshops, was some new research into stuttering. A new group called the Stuttering Research Consortium, made up of leading scientists and speech pathologists in Australia, were collecting blood samples for a project entitled

"Are chromosome differences associated with stuttering". They want to examine the DNA of People Who Stutter to see if they can find a link between certain DNA changes and stuttering. I believe any research, no matter how small, will lead us on the continuous journey into finding out what causes stuttering. Until then we all have our own theories.

Speak Easy needs your ongoing support. We are such a small group facing ongoing problems, such as personal issues, minimal funding, a small membership, few leadership skills and the fact we are all volunteers trying to do a massive job. We need support, encouragement, vehicles to express the aims, work and issues of our organization. Sometimes we even need guidance. But most of all we need you to encourage all clients to join Speak Easy for ongoing support after treatment as part of the treatment process. This also includes parents of children who stutter to gain a broader perspective of the issues faced by adults who stutter to ensure the problem is treated appropriately and effectively via early intervention.

Thank you very much for this opportunity to address you on the issues of stuttering and on behalf of NZ Speak Easy.

Lester J. Loomes

President

NZ Speak Easy Assn Inc.

A few Canterbury members enjoying themselves at their last meeting for 2003.

Website provided free by Shopzone

PRESIDENTS REPORT 2003

PRESENTED TO MEMBERS AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE NEW ZEALAND SPEAK EASY ASSOCIATED INCORPORATED, HELD IN DUNEDIN ON MAY 3, 2003.

We come together from all over New Zealand to celebrate our past successes and to make new friends while developing creative programmes to achieve our Speak Easy goals in the future.

This past year has been one of consolidation where we have tried to seal in the gains of previous years with one major new initiative which should assist New Zealand Speak Easy in the future.

Last year it was mentioned Speak Easy needs to liaise more with the New Zealand Speech Therapists’ Association (NZSTA). This is now a reality with Aurelia Margot, an SLT from Tauranga, taking on the liaison officer role. As this is a new position, I believe it will develop over time and assist both organisations to achieve their goals. We are now receiving the NZSTA magazine Communication Matters, so ensure you read it. Inside, they are also advertising major conferences around the world, including the 2004 World Congress for People Who Stutter.

I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet up with Aurelia Margot recently at the NZSTA conference in Nelson where I represented Speak Easy by organising a stand with a few freebies (pamphlets, Air Flow, web addresses), posters and played a few video tapes about stuttering. It was a highly rewarding weekend, which will be held in Dunedin next year with local members presenting a Speak Easy stand. I believe this relationship will develop over the coming years as we find common interests.

Our websites continue to go from strength to strength with the internet becoming the ain source for information. Our websites are a vital tool and we must continue to develop them in innovative ways, such as adding photographs, branch and national reports, personal stories and administrative data like our constitution, various guidelines and committee minutes. Please support our webmaster by sending him information.

On a personal note, I have recently received the use of a free personal computer from a charitable organisation in Christchurch called Molten Media Community Trust which has allowed me to enter the electronic information age. Many businesses donate their outdated computers to Molten Media who then upgrade and donate them to worthwhile community groups while retaining ownership. New Zealand Speak Easy has been a fortunate recipient and for this acknowledgement I would like to thank them sincerely for their valuable support.

I would also like to acknowledge the ongoing and vital support of the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board, which has been invaluable in assisting us in our community work. Without it, the administration of Speak Easy would become very difficult.

Air Flow continues to be produced with an ever-widening amount of diverse information. It contains everything from reports, personal stories, conference information, speech therapy and research guidelines and other interesting and sometimes contentious articles of interest to members. It is your magazine. Please continue to support it by writing those personal articles.

There are a vast number of people and organisations that I would like to thank for their work and support for Speak Easy. They have worked in the background at branch and national level to help us present Speak Easy as a well respected and quality New Zealand organisation for people who stutter. There are too many to name but you know who they are. Thank you very much for your invaluable contribution and helpful support over the past year. Without you we would cease to function as an organisation.

Over the past year national and local branches, where our core activities are organised, have been doing an enormous amount of Speak Easy work – advertising, building outgoing relationships with others, regular meetings, booster courses, oratory competitions, International Stuttering Awareness Day, social activities and outside speakers. Please keep up the tremendous effort over the coming year. It is very supportive and encouraging for everyone.

Our main focus this year, apart from our normal core activities, will be the February 2004 World Congress for People Who Stutter, in Perth, Australia. Plan to be there as it is a tremendous opportunity for us all.

LESTER J. LOOMES

PRESIDENT.

New Zealand Speak Easy officers elected on May 3:

President: Lester Loomes.

Vice president: Dean Cook.

Secretary: James Fox.

Treasurer: Ngaire Renton.

Publicity officer: Jason Lai.

Air Flow editor: Warren Brown.

Webmaster: George Dabb.

New Zealand contact for the International Stuttering Association: Warren Brown.

Patron: Judge Andrew Becroft.

National speech therapy adviser: To be advised.

Auditor: Up to Ngaire Renton’s discretion.