Voice Unearthed: Hope, Help and a Wake-Up Call for the Parents of Children Who Stutter

by Dori Holte

The primary message young children get in stuttering therapy is that they can and should manage their speech - in other words, try to not stutter - by utilizing speech tools and techniques. Is it possible that the anxiety this causes can create an even greater burden? Can that burden lead to excessive silence and disengagement - a far greater handicap than the stuttering itself?

Through personal narrative and extensive research, Voice Unearthed answers these questions with a resounding “yes!” It also includes practical guidance that helps keep children talking while minimizing everyone’s anxiety around communicating.

Voice Unearthed frees us from the pointless, painful chore of counting speech errors and reminds us to keep our eyes on what truly matters. It’s also a wake-up call for parents, professionals, and the entire field of speech therapy – and a reminder to “first do no harm.”

Genres: Nonfiction

141 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 13, 2011

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I *love* the theme of stuttering acceptance and focusing on keeping kids who stutter talking, rather than on fluency techniques. The narrative around that theme was compelling.

The author is not an SLP, which is clear from the way she covers the field - as a professional writer, not as a professional therapist. There is an over-emphasis on being "board certified", and some (relatively small) misunderstandings about things like how spontaneous recovery might work (and how it doesn't work). She's an expert on her kid and their family journey, not on the field of speech language pathology.

A valuable perspective on speech therapy for children who stutter.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book that is worth the read. It is a mix of research, anecdotal evidence and personal opinion so it is important for the reader to keep that in mind. She tells the personal story of her son going through stuttering therapy and mixes in some history on stuttering and some research evidence to back up her thoughts on the matter.

It is clear that the author feels very passionately about the topic - both her conviction and her frustration at the system are strongly felt.

This book is a good reminder to SLPs, students, and parents that there are still a lot of unknowns in the world of stuttering diagnosis and therapy. It is important to remember that many kids are sensitive and a constant focus on their errors can be very detrimental. Therapy can't be all about counting errors all the time, the larger picture needs to be taken into account.

Worth the read for anyone who works with or knows anyone who stutters.

[Kayla Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was one I had to read for my fluency class. It was a super quick read (only 140 pages) and I enjoyed gaining a new perspective from a parent of a child who stuttered but I don’t think this is something any non-SLP needs to pick up and read. UNLESS you have some sort of tie to stuttering and/or stuttering interests you.

[Francesca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This girlie seemed like she was trying to put together a really great book but kind of tripped at the finish line. Dori really makes some valid points on the treatment of stuttering and I appreciate the research that she put into this book, but the fact that she misspelt gyarados in the book a few times does make me question the validity of a lot of the research she put in. A lot of the points she makes seem to come from a place of confirmation bias from her expereince with treatment. Her experience isn't invalid, but I think some of the claims she makes about direct therapy being an ineffective may need to be further researched.

As an SLP student I felt entirely disheartened about trying to enter this field. As this was mandatory reading for a class, it really made me question whether or not this is a valid field to enter. Overall, while this did provoke some thoughts about my future practice, I have ultimately decided against opening a horse ranch.

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is interesting and enjoyable to read. It really helped shift my ideas around stuttering and my child. Dori shares her journey with stuttering and her son. It helped me make a better informed decision around what was and wasn’t helping my child with his stutter. It’s very supportive and there is a fb group that adds to the support.

[Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an invaluable resource for parents of children who stutter. As a person who stutters who suffered through fluency shaping for 14 years in grade school, I enjoyed and agreed with the messages within. As a current healthcare provider, I recommend this to SLPs who treat stuttering and family members of those who stutter.

[E Horak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very important read for parents of kids who stutter, and for speech therapists who would like to see the perspective of a parent.

HIGHLY recommend for any parent of a stuttering kid who feels something might be off. You will feel less alone.

[مريم مسلمة · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very important book which gives a totally other insight in traditional speech therapy.

[Cecile Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important read for everyone! Lots of tears.

[Dana Nieder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was assigned as part of my fluency class and I really enjoyed it. I found that her experiences as a mother seeking help for her son's speech disorder (stuttering) were very similar to my experiences seeking help for Maya. She was disillusioned with the therapy that her son received, I was similarly disillusioned. She had trouble finding people who think outside-the-box, I had similar trouble. (The similarities exist even now: she ended up writing this book and speaking about stuttering treatment, I ended up switching careers, writing about AAC, and speaking about early access to robust AAC.) I'm looking forward to our talk with the author.