The name of Liliya Zinovievna Harutyunyan (Andronova) is well known to everyone who has in one way or another encountered problems with stuttering: speech therapists, teachers, doctors, as well as people suffering from speech disorders. Today she is called a legend of Russian speech therapy.
Liliya Zinovievna received her education at Moscow State Pedagogical Institute named after. Lenina: graduated from the defectology faculty in 1952, and postgraduate school in 1974 (prepared and defended her Ph.D. thesis). Many years of work with people who stutter allowed her not only to study the features of this speech disorder, but also to develop an innovative method of treating it. This is the method of “Sustainable normalization of speech for people who stutter.”
Liliya Zinovievna always combined scientific activity with active practical work: she headed a specialized Speech Center and headed the Department of Speech Therapy at the Samara Pedagogical Institute, worked for many years in Poland as a practicing speech therapist, and in 2007 she began teaching as a professor at the Department of Speech Therapy at Moscow State University for the Humanities. Sholokhov. And now, continuing her scientific work, Liliya Zinovievna works with people who stutter in our Speech, which is named in her honor. Thanks to the technique of L.Z. Harutyunyan, we achieve unprecedentedly high results in our work, but the methodology continues to improve to this day.
Features of L.Z.’s technique Harutyunyan (Andronova)
Stuttering is one of the most common speech disorders, the signs of which are noticeable even to a person without special knowledge. Stuttering comes in varying degrees of severity and sometimes manifests itself so strongly that it deprives a person of the opportunity to fully communicate, express his thoughts, etc. as a result, it does not allow you to choose a profession to your liking, interferes with your personal life, and does not allow a person to feel happy. And it happens that repetitions of individual syllables and pauses during speech seem quite harmless, but even such minor manifestations can cause deep feelings. prevent you from fully opening up and realizing yourself, and achieving success in life. That is why today no one has any doubt that this speech disorder needs to be gotten rid of, preferably in childhood and irrevocably.
While developing her method of treating stuttering, L.Z. Harutyunyan (Andronova), as a practicing speech therapist, had the opportunity to observe hundreds of different cases of stuttering, which helped systematize symptoms and identify their causes. The “triad of components” of stuttering that she identified forms a vicious circle that must be “broken” in order to cope with the disease.
- Spasmodic delays (the jaw is clenched, the teeth are clenched and sounds are literally pushed through the lips, tongue, larynx).
- Spasmodic delays, in turn, lead to fear of difficult sounds and the appearance of obsessive thoughts (“I won’t be able to pronounce this word,” “I won’t be able to talk to this person”) and a feeling of excitement and anxiety during speech.
- Sooner or later (usually already at primary school age), a natural desire appears to hide a speech defect, so the person who stutters begins to simplify statements, postpone or completely avoid communication...
The need to speak creates fear, and fear aggravates the manifestations of stuttering. A “vicious circle” of symptoms arises, which is constantly repeated. Treatment according to the method of L.Z. Arutyunyan (Andronova) is aimed at forming an equally stable habit of speaking smoothly instead of a stable pathological state of stuttering speech,
The know-how of the technique is the synchronization of speech with finger movements: the leading hand, “trained” in a special way, supports a new stereotype of speech and speech behavior. It is consolidated during functional training and subsequently acts at the subconscious level. The technique is patented (see patents on the website) and is effective for patients with different degrees and causes of stuttering, adapted for all ages: from preschool children to adults.
Fraser technique
The first thing you need to understand is that the cause of stuttering is your fear. And the more you try not to stutter, the more you stutter. Give up panic, stop hysterics, accept your own speech impediments as a given. Admit your shortcomings and stop being ashamed of them. In most cases, as soon as a person informs his interlocutor that he stutters, half of the problems disappear by themselves, or even all at once. If not, you can deal with the other half using a self-speech correction program.
First, conduct an experimental exercise that will allow you to feel confident that the treatment will be successful. It will provide immediate relief, although it will not have a lasting effect.
Experiment
The essence of the exercise is the so-called “slow start” , speaking in a slow, drawn-out manner. “Slide” for about a second over the first sound of each word, and then calmly continue to draw out the syllables and words. Lengthen almost all vowel and consonant sounds somewhat, slowing down the transition from one to another. Thus, the speech organs come into contact with each other very easily, relaxed. There will be no breathing interruptions or repetitions of sounds.
Vowel sounds are easy to stretch, but with consonants you will need to practice alone. Pronounce plosive consonants such as “d”, “t”, “b”, “p” slowly, lightly touching the muscles of the tongue and mouth. For example, when pronouncing the word “cat”: on the sound “k” - light contact and a slow transition to the vowel “a”. Don't stop practicing until you get the hang of it. Pronounce the sounds of words flowing, inseparably, trying to attach the end of one word to the beginning of the next.
Speaking in public at a speed of 30 words per minute will feel awkward at first. But don’t let this bother you, tell your interlocutor the truth that this is how you are trying to get rid of stuttering - he will understand and support you. Believe me, from the outside your speech does not look as slow as you think. Gradually you will increase the speed to normal communication. When you feel some success, proceed to the basic rules of getting rid of stuttering.
12 rules to get rid of stuttering:
No. 1. Speak slowly. In any situation, learn to speak slowly, pronouncing every word carefully, regardless of whether you currently stutter or not. Get used to it. Remember: you should not tense up during a conversation.
Don’t try to blurt out a thought before you stutter - this way you’ll probably stumble, and your fast speech, even without stuttering, will remain unintelligible. It is recommended to take short pauses between sentences or phrases during a conversation. This way you will ease muscle tension. In any case, speech that consists of short, complete phrases separated by pauses sounds good even from a person with “no problem” speech functions.
Practice 10 minutes daily. Just read aloud or tell your reflection in the mirror a story, but be sure to slowly and deliberately. Most people who stutter are afraid of pauses of embarrassment. Therefore, learn to pause on purpose, so you can keep your speech under your own control (you will like this feeling), and random pauses will no longer bother you.
Make it a rule for the first time to record your speech on audio media, for example, a conversation on the phone. Then you will listen to it and you will be able to evaluate the errors yourself, draw the appropriate conclusion, understand why this happened, and correct them. If you can record a video, even better!
No. 2. Stutter easily. We have already talked about the “slow start”, use it, don’t force the words out of yourself. Complex word forms, words that you are afraid to pronounce, start speaking in a drawn-out, sing-song manner. Trying to “push out” words, you purse your lips or press your tongue tightly against the roof of your mouth, thereby blocking the path of air flow. It's like pouring water from a capped bottle. Don’t purse your lips, don’t tense your tongue or jaw – stutter calmly, relaxed, and competently. You will appreciate the difference.
Practice deliberately tensing and relaxing your speech muscles - gain control over them. Practice the experimental exercise for at least 5 minutes a day, alone with yourself. In addition, try every evening, for example, standing in front of the mirror, to simulate various life situations, especially those already familiar to you, those when you felt problems with speech. Play it again, but in a relaxed state.
Following this rule will help reduce tension and stress when speaking, which will qualitatively improve your speech.
No. 3. Down with pretense. Stop pretending you don't stutter. The masquerade does not help, but only makes communication more difficult. Trying to hide your own stuttering only perpetuates it. Tell your listeners that you stutter and accept the fact that you will now stutter a little. By getting rid of shame and embarrassment forever, you will get rid of stuttering!
Of course, this is not easy, but it can completely change your ideas about the speech problem and allow you to have a healthier, more holistic and objective approach to solving it. Don’t be afraid to hurt your pride; if you were afraid to open up for a long time and carefully tried to hide this problem, you are more likely to feel proud of yourself from your own courage. Approach this with humor, say, for example: “there will now be some slight delays due to technical problems” - this will ease possible tension and create an atmosphere of ease.
No. 4. Get rid of bad habits. You probably know what gestures, body movements, facial expressions or facial expressions are typical for you when you stutter. If not, watch yourself in the mirror, ask your loved ones - all stutterers have such movements. Getting rid of them will be the first step in getting rid of the automatic reflexes that accompany stuttering. These movements are side signs of stuttering, and once you get rid of them, you will begin to speak better. In any case, at first, you will be forced to carefully control your movements, and this will distract you from thoughts about how you speak and whether you stutter. During this time, the speech apparatus will get used to the normal pronunciation of sounds and will automatically tune in to speech without stuttering.
If it is difficult to get rid of a bad habit, start controlling it. To begin with, do these movements specifically, at moments when you do not stutter. Then change the way you move slightly to a slower pace or in a different direction. Learn to do this consciously, i.e. manage your habit, and you will be able to restrain it or change it.
For example, if your head jerks to the right when you stutter, try talking to friends on the phone while standing in front of a mirror and monitoring the process. First, deliberately pull it in words without hesitation, but more slowly. When stuttering, try to shift the emphasis and make her jerk to the left. You will very soon realize that the feeling of helplessness has left you, that you are no longer a slave, but the master of your habits. Then you will get rid of them without difficulty.
No. 5. Don't be afraid of difficulties. There is no need to avoid saying difficult words, try to replace them with others, or simply put off difficult conversations. The habit of avoiding words will only increase fear and make the problem worse. Many speech therapists believe that this is the most important thing in the treatment of stuttering, which can give an amazing effect even in very difficult cases. Don’t feed your fears, don’t give yourself time to think, learn to say what you want, when you want!
If you have resorted to such tricks quite often, start with a technique you already know - learn to do it on purpose. Make a list of words or problems that you would like to distance yourself from and work through them methodically. Make up a speech from your least favorite words, use them on purpose, continue even if you stutter. It's good for you to talk a lot. Try speaking more in stressful, difficult situations. Look for one such situation every day and engage in conversation. Go attack your own fears.
No. 6. Look into the eyes. Do not turn away to the side, do not avoid looking directly into the eyes of your interlocutor. Natural, ongoing contact will help reduce feelings of embarrassment or shame. Try to learn not to look away while stuttering, start with relatives and friends. Such interpersonal communication always happens more successfully; good speakers and famous politicians use this technique.
Rehearse a conversation with your reflection, look into your own eyes, imitate a strong stutter and do not look away. Do it until you succeed.
Then call someone and keep looking at the reflection of your eyes. There is no need to fix your gaze unblinkingly, look naturally.
No. 7. Do not stop. Keep talking even if you falter. Don’t get hung up on a bad sound, don’t go back to a bad word, don’t stop breathing. If you expect stuttering on a difficult word, say it slowly and smoothly. It is important to maintain a constant flow of air carrying your speech.
No. 8. Speak with intonation. When the previous rules begin to work for you, switch to a conversation colored with emotional colors, speak with intonation, melodiously, with emphasis on semantic words. Try to break away from monotony, change the volume and pace of speech. Practice using some speeches; they are usually rich in intonation and emotional components.
No. 9. Working with normal speech. Make sure you speak normally when you don't stutter. What movements do you make, what position do you take. These points are your guidelines for successful communication. They will boost your confidence. Scroll through them in your memory, specially imitate them when you think you might start to stutter. Love yourself this way and cherish this feeling, allowing it to “get out” more often.
No. 10. Speak! And say again, do this as much and often as possible. Practice whenever possible, make contact, express your opinion, share your thoughts, make the phone your friend. Just call the store to find out if they have any product. Stop being silent, you've been doing this for too long.
No. 11. Analyze your stuttering. Study it impartially - you are already ready for this. Determine what exactly you are doing wrong, what is happening to the speech muscles at this moment. By understanding what exactly is wrong, you can get rid of incorrect and unnecessary movements of the articulatory apparatus. When you are able to evaluate what is happening, you will learn a lot of new things, reveal the secrets of your problem, and understand how to get rid of stuttering once and for all.
Copy these movements and compare them with the correct ones. Say the word with a stutter, repeat it several times, noting all the features, and then say it without stuttering. Hold the speech block, stutter, until you understand exactly how this happens, until you can imitate this spasm yourself, of your own free will. A mirror or a video recording may again come in handy to help you. Find out how the muscles of the mouth, tongue, and larynx move, what exactly prevents you from speaking without stuttering.
Over time, you will find out that these movements are of the same type, that you stutter according to a pattern. You probably tense your lips a lot when you stutter and make a lot of unnecessary movements with your speech muscles. Now you can get rid of them in the same way as in the fourth stage you got rid of side bad habits (gestures, facial expressions) that accompanied speech defects. After all, stuttering is something you do to yourself, it’s something you can change yourself.
No. 12. Block correction. Start getting rid of unnecessary and incorrect actions of your speech apparatus. There are three methods of such correction, which correct errors that provoke stuttering and teach how to get rid of stuttering immediately at the moment of need:
- 1. Erase;
- 2. Breaking the deadlock;
- 3. Installation.
Erasing.
This technique will come in handy immediately at the moment of a block or severe speech failure:
- 1) The word you stumbled on needs to be completed. Pronounce it to the end, resorting to subterfuge, without shying away from pronouncing it.
- 2) Once you have said it, pause.
- 3) Try to relax your speech muscles as much as possible, especially the muscles of the larynx. Let your tongue just lie limply in your mouth, your lips should be free, your jaw should be slightly open. Feel that the tension goes away and your breathing returns to normal. Learn to do it in a split second.
- 4) Remember what happened and analyze the situation. What did you do wrong, what was wrong?
- 5) Remember how you can correct this sound with slow pronunciation.
- 6) Imagine how you do it, pronounce it in your mind - easily and freely, thereby changing the very pattern of stuttering. Your interlocutor may lose interest in the conversation, but this should not bother you. Take your time and continue to prepare for the next conversation.
- 7) Now you are actually ready to pronounce this word, having corrected all the shortcomings.
Do it slowly and smoothly. And most importantly, keep your breath in order to continue to slowly move from sound to sound.
Don't worry that this may take a long time, 2-3 seconds is enough. Do not be embarrassed by some artificial pronunciation of the words on which you stumble. The people around you are smart enough and will understand that you are trying to cope with the problem, and this is worthy of respect.
Breaking the deadlock.
In this version of error correction, you do not need to pause or stop to start over, as in “Erase”. On the contrary, continue to stutter, while at the same time slowing down your speech, deliberately drawing out the sound. This way you stabilize the sound, do not shorten your breath, stop muscle trembling, turning repetitions into one drawn-out sound.
Having done this, you will realize that you can independently control the duration of speech blocking and gently “get out” of the deadlock situation. Try to hold back your stuttering until you feel like you are taking control. At this stage, you already need to understand how to correct muscle movements. Stop drawing out the sound and begin to slowly correct the movement of the speech muscles. If you can't do this, return to the "Erasing" technique.
Installation.
Having mastered all the above methods and methods of exiting the block, begin the installation correction. This method will help prevent stuttering in the future and prevent its occurrence. The best way to get rid of stuttering is to prevent it.
When you feel a stutter coming on, pause to plan your actions. Use your experience before stuttering occurs:
- 1) As already mentioned - take a break. Calm down and mentally rehearse the pronunciation of this word. This will take a couple of seconds maximum.
- 2) Try to relax the muscles of the speech mechanism. Feel the tension go away.
- 3) Now remember the mechanism of stuttering on this sound and your response actions.
- 4) Remember how you dealt with these mistakes during training, how you controlled your speech muscles.
- 5) Play it over in your mind. Say the whole word to yourself slowly, smoothly, unhurriedly.
- 6) Normalize your breathing and pronounce the word without stuttering, copying the actions and sensations produced mentally one to one.
- 7) pronounce the word melodiously, slightly exaggerating the correction. Pay attention to your positive feelings, not the sound of the word.
By improving in correction techniques, you will be able to achieve confidence in your own abilities, in the ability to control and be the master of your speech.
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Work of the Center
Under the guidance of the author of the method, Liliya Zinovievna Harutyunyan (Andronova), highly qualified professionals who have received special education from the author and have significant practical experience work at Arlilia.
By contacting the Speech Center, you will learn at the first consultation how to achieve sustainable normalization of speech. Specialists will give you not only general, but also individual recommendations, depending on the patient’s age, “experience” and the causes of the illness. Treatment is carried out according to one of the developed programs, individually or in a mini-group. For descriptions of programs, see our website. The main course is 11 days of classes of 8 hours each for adults or 15 classes of 1.5–2.5 hours each for children (depending on age), during which the formation of correct speech skills accompanied by the fingers. At this stage, patients can already speak without stuttering, but spontaneous speech is temporarily limited. Gradually, time restrictions are being lifted. Subsequent microcourses allow you to consolidate what you have achieved and achieve expressive, normal-paced speech in any communication situation without using your fingers.
No matter how serious the problem, Arlilia will help you solve it. The center's specialists are confident that stuttering can be corrected completely and forever.
To schedule a consultation, please fill out our form and we will contact you. If there is our branch in your city, then a specialist from the branch will answer the questionnaire.
Causes of stuttering
There are 2 types of causes of stuttering. The former create a predisposition, the so-called “soil” for the development of the disease. The second group of reasons are “impetuses” to development, reasons.
Predisposing reasons
A combination of one of the following unfavorable conditions and a strong irritant (stress) is enough for the development of stuttering in a child.
A lot depends on the parents. If parents have the so-called Neurotic burden, which includes infectious, neurological and other diseases that negatively affect the functions of the nervous system, then all these factors can affect the child. Infections can be transmitted, and increased irritability can negatively affect the child’s mental state.
A lot depends on the parents.
When we evaluate developmental causes, it is important to look back to the period before, during and after childbirth. It is necessary to study the presence of birth injuries, infections, asphyxia and other factors that may affect the functioning of the brain. It is equally important to study the child’s family, because it is likely that among his blood relatives there may be people who stutter.
As for the child’s body, it is necessary to pay attention to its neurogenic characteristics and constitutional predisposition. These reasons include increased vulnerability and irritability, nightmares, enuresis, and diseases of the nervous system. Of course, we should not forget that a child may go through a stage in which age-related anatomical and physiological features of the central nervous system are present.
And of course, one of the most important things is that the child should not feel disadvantaged in the family, should not face alienation and misunderstanding on the part of the parents. It is important to ensure that the baby has enough positive emotions that he receives with his parents.
Producing causes
Quite often, stuttering develops against the background of organic (physical) diseases of the brain, which lead to disturbances in the speech-motor system.
Stuttering often develops against the background of infectious and physical diseases.
Infectious processes accompanied by the development of encephalitis and meningitis can lead to depletion of the nervous system and weaken the centers responsible for the movements of the speech-motor apparatus (measles, whooping cough, meningococcal infection).
Many ENT diseases (laryngitis, tonsillitis, sinusitis) lead to changes in the timbre and intonation of the voice, which also negatively affects the formation of speech.
Mental trauma accompanied by severe fear or fright.
A significant reason is inadequate upbringing of the child. This may include increased demands from the child in learning, the formation of the phenomenon of “exemplary” behavior.
Negative, negative attitude of parents towards the child (severity, anger, strictness).
An equally important reason is the child’s unexpected shock, which can be both positive and negative (“excessive” excitement, stressful situations at school, stressful situations in the family).
Simultaneous acquisition of different languages at an early age causes stuttering, usually in one language
In the case of a child learning several languages at an early age, which leads to increased load on various centers of the brain.
Imitating people who stutter.
Symptoms
The main symptom of stuttering is cramps (abnormal contraction of the muscles of the speech apparatus) during speech. Their duration can take from 1-2 to 12-13 seconds, and in some severe cases reach 80 seconds or more.
Be attentive to your child and help him overcome or prevent the development of stuttering.
In children with stuttering, the sequence in the pronunciation of individual words is also disrupted; children lose their train of thought due to pronounced pauses, experience emotional distress and, as a result, acquire character traits of a “defective” person.
Let us dwell in more detail on the feeling of inferiority, since this symptom largely determines the further development and course of stuttering in a child. This feeling is also called “painful fixation” of a stutterer.
There are three degrees of “painful fixation”:
- First Art. (children feel comfortable, and they do not experience embarrassment or shame due to a speech defect).
- Second Art. (children lose a sense of comfort, experience moderate embarrassment, shame due to a speech defect, and try to disguise it)..
- Third Art. (pronounced concentration on their speech impediment, experience severe embarrassment, shame. Usually this degree is noted in children of senior school age).
The effectiveness of treatment for children who stutter directly depends on the degree of “painful fixation.” The higher the fixity, the less favorable the prognosis for speech therapy work.
There are three degrees of stuttering:
- minor - stuttering appears only during excitement (expressed emotions) and during rapid speech.
- moderate - do not stutter at rest and in normal surroundings; Only when emotions are expressed does stuttering appear.
- pronounced - they stutter constantly.
Treatment and prognosis
Today, the treatment of such children includes not only medical, but also pedagogical influence.
- Use of medications. A huge number of different groups of drugs can be used in the treatment of stuttering. Let's look at the most common of them:
- 1. Nootropics (piracetam, pantogam, pantocalcin, phenibut).
- 2. Sedatives (valerian, phenibut, glycine, persen, afobazole, adaptol, novo passit). It is worth noting that many nootropics also combine sedative effects.
- 3. Vitamins, especially B vitamins (combilipen, compligam B, larigama).
One of the treatment methods is sessions with a speech therapist.
There are a huge number of methods for overcoming stuttering in children, as well as groups of drugs that can be used in individual cases. Many of you are interested in the question: “Can we help a child on our own, at home and without running to doctors? Is it possible to completely cure stuttering in a child? There are separate techniques that allow you to improve pronunciation and so on by practicing at home, but they are also selected by a specialist. As for the forecast, there is no clear statement. It can be assumed that the younger the child, the more cheerful and positive his behavior, the fewer concomitant psychopathological disorders, the weaker the manifestations of seizures, the better the prognosis.
