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HCRI is a
pioneering institution in the continued development of research
based, behaviorally oriented stuttering therapy. Our long term
research on the observable features of stuttered speech has provided
a strong foundation for development of practical and effective
treatment programs for stuttering, including the Precision
Fluency Shaping Program,
and the more advanced and recent stuttering therapy program, the Hollins
Fluency System™.
HCRI has been a
leader in the comprehensive behavior analysis of stuttered speech. We
have identified a series of "fluency targets" involving
articulation, voicing and respiration that can replace the distorted
motor events of stuttered speech.
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HCRI has also
devoted work to developing specific methods of training within our
therapy program. We have learned which training sequences are
maximally effective and what skill levels must be attained within
each step of the therapy process in order for success to follow at
the next
step. Laboratory derived principles of learning have been applied
throughout the therapy program in order to foster effective
acquisition and long term retention of fluency. |
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Our research has
shown that the cognitive and emotional components of stuttering
result directly from the presence of disturbed speech muscle movement
patterns. This research has enabled us to develop methods of therapy
that deal in a balanced manner with the motor, cognitive and
emotional aspects of stuttering.
Research conducted
at HCRI has permitted us to develop electronically based measurements
of fluency skills. With our computerized instrumentation, we can
measure a person's progress through important stages within the
therapy process. Our devices allow each person in therapy to receive
immediate, precise feedback about the accuracy of performance on
specific fluency targets. This advanced method of training within
therapy provides each person with explicit knowledge of what must be
done to generate fluent speech.
Additional
research projects at HCRI deal with the role of sensory feedback in
speech motor guidance, the detailed analysis of how stuttering is
organized, and the development of improved fluency target measurement systems.
HCRI's research
continues with long-term monitoring of clients after therapy. This
work helps us better define the relationships between fluency
targets, training methods and the retention of fluency skills. It
also guides us in making small, but important improvements within the
therapy program.
HCRI's staff
consists of full-time clinicians, researchers and support personnel
who specialize in the treatment of stuttering and in research on
stuttering. Clinical staff members hold advanced credentials and have
extensive experience in working with all levels of stuttering
severity. Click Here to meet our staff.
View the videos at
the left in order to learn more about how HCRI is advancing the
understanding of stuttering and the ability to treat it effectively.
This special therapy is only available at HCRI in
Roanoke, Virginia USA. To receive more information by mail about
HCRI's stuttering therapy, Click Here. |
