Mirrors?

[jamesm]

Has anyone ever heard that speaking out loud in front of a mirror for like a half hour to an hour a day help stutterers? Most people that you hear about who stuttered as a child said they "practiced" talking aloud and what not in front of mirrors or just to themselves and they seem to be non stuttering people now. VP Joe Biden supposedly read Shakespeare aloud in front of a mirror for hours at a time in his youth, now obviously he seems very fluent. This is not saying he still may slip up from time to time, but he and others seem to think this is a very good strategy for stutterers in order to gain fluency. I have heard this from other so called "reformed stutterers". I had a cousin who cled that this greatly increased his fluency as well. Anyone else heard of this?

[troutbum]

in the book SELF THERAPY FOR THE STUTTERER one the techniques mentioned is to look at yourself in the mirror while talking on he phone. this is to tell what kind of secondary behaviors you are doing when you are having a block. makes sense to me but i have not tried it.

[hewhohuntselves]

I heard this in relation to Joe Biden, but wasn't sure if it was correct of whether he simply grew out of his stammer - as can happen with some people. It's an interesting theory that's for sure. I suspect that it might help because it makes you much more concious of your breathing, your posture and the timing of your speech. These are all factors that I take into account in trying to improve my own speech. One of the biggest things that has helped me is simply slowing down and taking my time... I also use costal breathing and although a large part of that technique revolves around taking a costal breath, a lot of it concerns being more aware of how you speak. Looking at yourself in the mirror might be linked in with that.

[taylorford88]

yea biden, like many others, may have just grown out of it, but it is another approach and it might help! even a worst case scenario, it would let you notice secondary characteristics and help you improve on them.

[jamesm]

I'm starting to think, maybe it has something to do with just facing yourself/stutter. I mean that sometimes when we stutter our minds somewhat leave the present situation for an instant. I feel like we are kinda outside of ourselves, like we aren't really there for a second, while we are blocking, our mind starts racing, focusing in on the block and nothing else. So maybe speaking while looking in a mirror sort of helps focus our speech physically. Like, we are able to see ourselves stuttering and maybe brings us closer to our speech, more connected to our speech/ourselves. Idk, crazy stuff!

[troutbum]

it also teaches you to keep eye contact while speaking or while blocking. if you can look at yourself in the eyes while stuttering, you should be able to do that with everyone.

[amey]

Mirrors help me when I am having a difficult time on the telephone. I am able to watch my mouth and use my techniques.-- It also helps bring the stutter into the present moment. sometimes stuttering can feel like a little seizure, like it is something that is just happening to us. --a mirror can help bring the focus back.

[Torpede]

[QUOTE=amey;44675]sometimes stuttering can feel like a little seizureQUOTE]

This made my eyes tear. I feel the same way...

[thomcoes]

When I was in the school, my sir keep telling us mirror is the only person who can take your fear out. You just stand in front of mirror and start talking. But I felt there's not true because mirror means we are speaking in front of ourselves but when delivering on the stage there are many people. So this idea is flop according to me

[0000]

i've noticed that when i'm having a block and i look in the mirror it suddenly goes away. i'll have to try this when talking on the phone which is the biggest obstacle in my life.

[Miko]

Its a good exercise, but I dont practice as much as I should...

[Fredrick]

mirror mirror on the wall,

who is the greatest stutterer of them all.

[Bruce]

mirror mirror on the wall,

who is the greatest stutterer of them all.

actually I think ALI the boxer stuttered and he rhymed the way he did not to stutter....

[Steven]

it also teaches you to keep eye contact while speaking or while blocking. if you can look at yourself in the eyes while stuttering, you should be able to do that with everyone.

you mean stutter also when you look at someone in the eyes?

[Steven]

i've noticed that when i'm having a block and i look in the mirror it suddenly goes away. i'll have to try this when talking on the phone which is the biggest obstacle in my life.

i think this works because you give yourself the attention of listening to yourself like you didn't get enough of from your parents when you were a kid and by looking at yourself in the mirror, you get the mirroring you should have gotten as a child and the use of the mirror gives power to this giving attention or mirroring to yourself.

[ahhyes]

Hey Fredrick. You crack me up man!! L Really OL
Cheers buddy