CSD 8205
Advanced Fluency Disorders

Official Syllabus

Course Objectives

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Readings

Texts:

Guitar, Barry (2006). Stuttering: An Integrated Approach to its nature and Treatment (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.

Advice to Those Who Stutter (2nd edition).  Speech Foundation of America pub. #9.

Do You Stutter: A Guide for Teens (4th edition). Speech Foundation of America pub. #21.

Effective Counseling in Stuttering Therapy. Speech Foundation of America pub. #18.

If Your Child Stutters: A Guide for Parents (7th edition). Speech Foundation of America pub. #11.

Treating the School-Aged Child who Stutters: A Guide for Clinicians (2nd edition).  Speech Foundation of America pub. #14.

Journal Articles:

The following three articles appeared in the same issue of the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, vol. 6 # 2, May 1997.

Bernstein-Ratner (1997). Leaving Las Vegas: Clinical odds and individual outcomes. AJSLP 6(2), pp. 29-33.

Curlee & Yairi (1997). Early intervention with early childhood stuttering: A critical examination of the data. AJSLP 6(2), pp. 8-18.

Zebrowski (1997). Assisting young children who stutter and their families: defining the role of the speech-language pathologist. AJSLP 6(2), pp. 19-28.

Pedrey, Charles (1950). Letter to the editor. JSHD 15, 266-269.

 

Articles from the International Stuttering Awareness Day (ISAD) On-line Conference:

Daly, D. (2007).  Cluttering:  Characteristics identified as diagnostically significant by 60 fluency experts.  [on-line].  Paper presented to the 10th International Stuttering Awareness Day Online Conference.  http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad10/papers/daly10/daly10.html.

DeNil, L. (2007).  Neurogenic stuttering -- so much we know, so much we still need to discover!  [on-line].  Paper presented to the 10th International Stuttering Awareness Day Online Conference.  http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad10/papers/dunil10.html.

Dewey, J.  (2005).  My experiences with cluttering.  [on-line].  Paper presented to the 8th International Stuttering Awareness Day Online Conference.  http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad8/papers/dewey8.html.

Packman, A.  (2003).  When a young child starts to stutter: To treat or not to treat?  [on-line].  Paper presented to the 6th International Stuttering Awareness Day Online Conference.  http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad6/papers/packman6.html.

 

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Requirements

Policies

1. Mitigating Circumstances:  If you have any disabilities, either permanent or temporary, which might affect your ability to perform in this course, please let me know at the beginning of the semester. I will try to adapt methods and materials to help you participate equitably in the course.  If you require test accommodations, note takers, or other such adaptations, you must work through the Disabilities Services office on campus.

2. Academic Integrity: All work done for this course must be your own. When using someone else's ideas or words, you must give that person credit to avoid plagiarism. We will discuss appropriate documentation in class, and I am available to answer your questions. The procedures and policies stated in the University's Student Academic Integrity Policy will be enforced; read the policy at http://www.d.umn.edu/conduct/integrity/Academic_Integrity_Policy.htm.
   

3. Exams and Make-up Exams: For take-home-essay type exams, you will have one week to complete the exam and return it to me. Unless otherwise specified, an exam will be due by the beginning of class on the given day. Late exams will be penalized one letter grade for each day that they are late. For in-class quizzes and tests, you must be present on the scheduled exam day.
   
   If you are deathly ill or cannot be present on the scheduled exam day, you must notify me prior to the scheduled exam time. If you need to make up the test, you need to do so within 3 working days of the regularly scheduled exam. Failure to notify me prior to the test or to make it up within the designated time will result in a failing grade for that test. The official final exam slot for this course is Thursday, May 12 at 2:00 p.m.

4. Due Dates: Due dates for written work and exams will be announced well in advance. Unless otherwise specified, work will be due by the beginning of class (1:00 p.m.) on the given date. All late work will be reduced by one letter grade for each day that it is late.

5. Incompletes: If life becomes overwhelming during the term, come to visit me. We can talk about some options that you may have available to you before you decide on taking an incomplete. See the Graduate School's policies on grading and incompletes before making this choice.
   

   
   

6. Reading Assignments: Reading assignments will come from the text book, web sites, and articles listed above. Read the assigned material and check the links in advance so that you can participate intelligently in class activities. Reading in advance will also allow you to bring your questions to class and get them answered.  The Course Outline identifies the readings which correspond to the topics of discussion and in what weeks you can anticipate those topics.   If in doubt about where we are in the outline, what is coming up, or what you need to have prepared, ask.

7. Preparation for Class:  You will have opportunities to discuss various topics related to fluency, stuttering, therapy, and social attitudes.  Most of the materials we will use in class are available to you through this web page, links to other sites, and the videos that we see in class.   Use the Course Outline to help you predict when a particular topic will come up and what you need to do ahead of time to prepare yourself to address that topic in class.  One of the two things that irritate professors the most is students' lack of preparation for class.  To me, lack of preparation often signals a lack of ownership for one's learning. The more prepared you are, the more ownership you take of your education, and the more interesting and fun class will be for you.

Classroom Etiquette

1. Attendance:  Daily class attendance is not required, although it is encouraged very strongly.  You are at a stage in your educational development where showing up and being prepared reflect on your sense of professionalism. A great deal of class time will involve viewing and discussing videos about stuttering and people who stutter -- learning that comes from your experience and not for printed words.   You are required to be present for class presentations and in-class exams.

2. Tardiness:    Most of you are adult enough and responsible enough to get to class on time.  That said, it is easy to lose track of time in the computer lab and work room, and cleaning up after a therapy session can take longer than you anticipate.  Watch your time so that you can get to class and be ready when class starts. Arriving late to class can be very disruptive.  If you must arrive late to class, try to be as quiet and unobtrusive as possible.  If you know before hand that you will be late, please let me know with a quick email or phone call (contact info is at the top of the page).  If you have a tight schedule that involves traveling from the upper campus, talk to me at the beginning of the semester so that we can work things out.  I will notice habitual tardiness and, unless you have explained your situation to me, I will think less well of your motivation and interest in this course.  

3. Leaving Class Early:  Again, most of you are adult enough and responsible enough not to walk out of class early.  Sometimes other obligations and appointments require you to leave early, however, so please let me know before hand.   Leaving class before the end can also be disruptive, so if you must leave, please do it quietly and respectfully.

   
   

4. Cell Phones and Texting:   Most of you are very conscientious and respectful about cell phone use in class.  As a general reminder, please turn off your cell phone before class and leave it off.  Put it out of sight so that its siren song does not tempt you.  If you use your cell phone during class for calls or texting, I will ask you to leave.  I may even confiscate your phone and you must see me to have it returned.  Return of your phone may require a price, such as really good chocolate, single malt scotch, or a written apology.

5. Laptop Computers:  Laptop computers bring a world of resources to your fingertips; they also bring a world of distractions to your fingertips. If you use your laptop in class, you are expected to use it appropriately and respectfully i.e. for course related activities only.  Reading email, surfing the net, shopping, playing games, etc. are not course related and are not appropriate activities.  If you use your computer for non-course related activities during class, I may ask you to close it down.  If you habitually use your computer for non-course related activities during class, you will lose the privilege of having it in class. 
   
   UW-Madison has some excellent advice for students regarding laptop use and attentiveness in general (Advice for Students).  As a courtesy, please do not use your laptop when guest speakers are visiting.  If you want to take notes on their presentations, please take hand-written notes.

6. Attentiveness:  The second behavior most likely to irritate faculty is lack of attentiveness -- seeing students sleeping, reading the paper, preparing for another class, emailing, texting, surfing, etc.  Students often engage in multiple activities in class under the false assumption that they are multitasking.  This simply isn't true.  Michelle Tessier and Linda Marnich multitask.  Students doing multiple things in class are engaging in a behavior known as continuous partial attention.  Continuous partial attention means that we give partial attention to one task while we scan our horizons for something more interesting, and then give partial attention to that while we continue scanning our horizons. We never fully engage ourselves in any one thing.  
   
   Attentiveness reflects your social skills and your sense of professionalism.   In this profession we need to be fully present to others.  Continuous partial attention prevents us from being present to the other.
   
   Remember that you are in the classroom for only one reason: to learn.  Your primary responsibility in the classroom is to open and engage your mind in the activity at hand. If you engage in non-course related activities during class, I may confiscate those materials and you must see me to have them returned.  See Cell Phones and Texting for the potential cost of retrieving your materials. 

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The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
©2011 Cindy S. Spillers. For concerns about this course contact the instructor at cspiller@d.umn.edu