Many individuals report difficulties making phone calls, giving oral presentations, or ordering at restaurants, while others identify situations such as talking one-on-one as difficult. Regardless how it affects you, a more fluent speech pattern can be developed.
"The effectiveness of your life is determined by the effectiveness of your communication."
– Earl Nightingale
Our assessment begins with the evaluation of both unique physical, or behavioral symptoms of the disfluency as well as cognitive, or emotional issues that may also exist.
These vary depending on the age of the individual and the severity of the stuttering. Goals for therapy address both the cognitive and behavioral symptoms. After a comprehensive, in depth evaluation, an individual therapy plan is agreed upon.
Therapy is a combination of the Fluency Shaping and Fluency Modification approaches which is tailored to the individual’s needs. New patterns of more fluent speech are developed in the clinical setting and transferred into real world speaking situations.
Therapy also involves developing a healthier attitude toward communication and stuttering as appropriate to the individual. Each client is actively involved in designing his or her own treatment plan. Education is provided for family and other individuals, and they may be included in therapy as appropriate.
The process of transfer consists of establishing new patterns of more fluent speech consistently in situations outside the clinic – this is called stabilization. Individuals soon generalize these skills; transferring these new behaviors empowering each individual to maximize his potential in all situations – this is a key objective of this program.
For children 2-6 who warrant speech therapy, the highly effective F.A.S.T. Fluency Program™ is preferred. F.A.S.T. is an acronym for Family And Slp Treatment. This is a direct model in which parents are trained to facilitate practice at home. Resolving stuttering in this age group typically takes less than a dozen sessions.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is integrated into therapy where appropriate. CBT offers highly effective strategies and processes that can expedite relief from the cognitive and emotional aspects often associated with stuttering.
CBT compliments traditional approaches and makes for cutting-edge fluency therapy! Tim is a certified Master Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Neuro Semantics. Social Anxiety commonly develops after years of stuttering.
Anxiety overwhelms the person who stutters and makes the use of speech strategies inconsistent at best. CBT is often the missing link to past attempts at therapy. Adults from 20-70 years of age have enjoyed relief from old, well-established patterns of negative thinking and fear.
Therapy sessions are held twice per week to encourage carry-over. They quickly decrease in frequency as appropriate to the individual’s rate of success. Quarterly check-ups are recommended for one year following regular therapy to promote sustained success.
A customized program can be tailored for long distance patients. This can combine an intensive program in Atlanta and be followed by live, internet sessions. Last year alone people from 16 states in the United States and 3 foreign countries selected our services
Like the medical field, speech-language pathology (SLP) is broad and is comprised of generalists and specialists. Would you go to a cardiologist for a knee injury? We have professionals in sign language, swallowing disorders, articulation, voice, stuttering, and so on.
What is an ASHA Board Recognized Fluency Specialist?
The American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) recognized the need for specialty recognition in the complex area of stuttering treatment. A Specialist has a minimum of 5 years experience as a certified SLP. In addition, we have documented training and treatment experience specific to stuttering. Letters of recommendation and testimonials of our proficiency are necessary for acceptance. A Specialist must then meet stringent continuing education standards and documentation of our ongoing treatment of stuttering.
An ASHA Specialty Mentor is the highest recognition given by ASHA to a specialist. These Mentors are carefully chosen and are responsible for helping certify younger SLPs desiring specialty recognition. In addition to the specialization criteria, Mentors must have documented supervision and training of SLPs in the area of fluency disorders.
Tim Mackesey has the highest distinction of of specialists – he is a Life-Time Board Certified Specialist and a Specialty Mentor. He is the only Board Certified Stuttering specialist with a full-time private practice, Atlanta Area Stuttering Specialists, dedicated to stuttering treatment in Georgia. Tim has 30 years experience as a stuttering specialist.
Tim, serving as president of Georgia Speech-Language and Hearing Association, meets with Georgia Governor, Sonny Perdue, as he signs a proclamation to declare May as Better Hearing and Speech Month.
1874 Independence Square Suite B
Dunwoody, GA 30338
Dunwoody is a north-central suburb of Atlanta; located just north of perimeter highway 285. The office is ½ mile outside 285 from the Chamblee Dunwoody Road exit. It is located at the intersection of Chamblee Dunwoody, Peeler, and Shallowford Roads. The clinic is in a professional office complex known as “Dunwoody Place North.” It is located in a group of brick, Georgetown-style buildings.
Our stuttering Atlanta specialist office is easily accessible for Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Marietta, Dunwoody, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Buckhead, Roswell, Suwanee, Peachtree Corners, and other metro Atlanta suburbs.