Start with step 1

Because I posted these from step 1 to 12, step 1 is at the bottom. Scroll down and start with step one, then work your way up the page. You can spend as long as you need to on each step. Some things may be harder for you than others. Then, start over again. Make it an exercise that you do every day for the rest of your life and you will slowly see a change in your speech.

More information on each step can be found in the book "Self Therapy for the Stutterer" by Malcolm Fraser.

Step 8 to conquering stuttering- Cancellation

After you have studied and identified what you are doing abnormally with your speech mechanism when you stutter, take advantage of pre-block, in-block, and post-block corrections to modify or eliminate your abnormal speech muscle behavior.

"The stutterer must come to know just what he does when he approaches a feared word or situation." (Van Riper)

Malcolm Fraser states in his book "Self Therapy for the Stutterer" that the post-block procedures should be learned and practiced first.

Post-Block Correction is called "Cancellation."

"Do this right after a block and before continuing speaking. That is when you should feel what went wrong. After you stutter on a word, you are to pause momentarily to allow time for you to think back and figure out what you did wrong which caused the stutter and plan how to correct it. Relax the tension in your speech mechanism, particularly in your throat. Get the feeling of your tongue lying limp in the bottom of your mouth. Let your jaw drop slightly open and feel the tension draining out as your breathing returns to normal. As you pause and relax, think back and ask yourself what caused you to get stuck on that sound - what did you do wrong - what did you do that was abnormal?"

"When the word is completed, stop completely and analyze all of the errors you made while all of the tensions and pressures are still fresh." (Starbuck)

After analyzing what you did wrong, repeat the word while making the corrections. Do the sound on which you blocked in a smooth, prolonged manner. Keep your voice flowing in order to make the transition to the next sound. Over-correct what you did wrong. If it was a sound that requires a light contact, press your lips together so lightly that there is little or no contact.

Doing this the first time may seem like it interrupts your conversation too long, but it will get easier the more often you do it. The delay and corrections will show others that you are determined to control your difficulty. This will help you gain confidence and control of your speech.

Practice this for a long time before trying the next step In-Block Corrections.

step 7 to conquering stuttering

Try to identify what you are doing wrong with your speech mechanism when you stutter. "For some stutterers simply identifying stutterings as they are being produced is sufficient to enable them to start modifying these very same instances of stuttering." (Conture) "The stutterer must come to know just what he does when he approaches a feared word or situation." (Van Riper) Study your speech using a mirror, tape recorder, video, hold onto a block long enough to determine what you are doing, and/or stutter slowly enough to get the feel of what is happening. "Self Therapy for the Stutterer" published by The Stuttering Foundation of America goes into detail about finding out what you do when you stutter.It helps you analyze the pattern of your blocks and how to analyze in detail what you do with your speech mechanism. A speech therapist trained to work with people who stutter can be a great asset with this step. A list of therapists who have gone for extra training to work with stutterers is available under "referrals" at www.stutteringhelp.org.

Step 6 to conquering stuttering

Maintain eye contact with the people you talk to. Do not look away when you stutter or expect to. This helps reduce feelings of shame and embarrassment. "Maintaining eye contact will help reduce feelings of shyness and tend to build self-confidence." (Fraser)

"You must acquire the ability to keep good eye contact with your listener throughout your moment of stuttering." (Van Riper)

Step 5 to Conquering Stuttering

Stop avoidance, postponement, or substitution habits. These give temporary relief, but increase your fears and cause more trouble later. Do not dodge speaking situations. Look for opportunities to speak as the more you do, the easier it will become.

"Every time you substitute one word for another, use a sound or some trick to get speech started, postpone or give up an attempt at talking, you make it harder for yourself." - Emerick

Step 4 to conquering stuttering

Identify and eliminate any gestures, facial contortions, or body movements that you have developed such as jerking your head, blinking your eyes, swinging your arms, tapping your foot, slapping your knee, or similar things. First you will have to identify the habits you have developed by asking family members or friends or by watching yourself in the mirror. You may not realize some of the things that you are doing. "When these reactions are recobnized as secondary symptoms, they can gradually be minimized and controlled and the stammerer is then in a better position to contend with the primary speech disorder." (Bluemel)

Step 3 to conquering stuttering - Don't hide!

Do not try to hide the fact that you stutter. Telling people up front that you are a stutterer usually makes speaking easier and lessens the stuttering. Trying not to stutter usually makes speaking harder, makes the stuttering worse, and often leads to more blocks.

Step 1 to conquering stuttering

The first step is to make a habit of slowing down and talking deliberately. It is easier to control your speech while talking slowly. A relaxed manner of speaking makes it easier to keep from having tension that causes stuttering and blocking. Pauses every so often help, too.