Researchers at the Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research are the first in North America to study the use of video monitoring in stuttering rehabilitation. Video Self Modelling (VSM) is a common technique for athletes to monitor their own performances. Now, it has been introduced as a part of a treatment approach for adult stutterers.
People who stutter can see great improvement in their speech after therapy, but it is often short-lived without diligent practice and self-monitoring. ISTAR’s recent pilot study showed VSM helped reduce stuttering frequency in clients who had experienced relapse after therapy.
In the study, three participants were videotaped during their periods of high fluency directly after a therapy program, when they were able to use their fluency skills to maximum effect. Any residual stuttering was edited out of the tapes. Not only did these tapes demonstrate the best use of fluency skills learned in therapy, but they served as reminders of participants’ past success. Then, they watched their videos at least twice a week. It was reported that VSM helped in personal and professional speaking situations.
After using the videos in their speech maintenance, participants reported “having an increased awareness of his moments of stuttering and of how to recover fluency.” Two of them found it motivated them to actively practice fluency skills they observed in the video-recordings and to employ them in conversations.
In the below video, ISTAR staff and client Tim Sesink discuss the VSM method.
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