I was invited to the Widex Speech and Hearing Company to come to their Center in Hong Kong. They asked me as a stuttering specialist to provide stuttering training for about 100 Chinese Speech Therapists.
They were part of the public school system in the city of Hong Kong. My full-day workshop trained these Chinese therapists in the Stutter-Free Speech Program. This is the same intensive therapy program for stuttering that is provided at the Power Stuttering Center. As a result, these clinicians will take what they learned to help children and adults in schools, hospitals, and clinics all over Hong Kong. I am happy to know those children as far away as China will have help with their stuttering.
It was interesting and challenging because, although all participants spoke adequate Engling, their primary language was Mandarin. When the practice exercises in the treatment phase, they used their native language because this is the language they would use with their children who stutter in the schools. Through the stuttering training, They were able to learn how to provide therapy back in their schools after the workshop.
Results of the Workshop
I am excited that these therapists will be able to help people who stutter in China. They were very grateful for the skills that they learned during the workshop. They also took me out for some delicious Chinese “Dim Sum” dinners. The workshop was a success. Widex invited me back again to train other therapists and have counseling sessions with parents of children who stutter. The trip to Hong Kong was 19 hours one-way. It was absolutely worth it to see the therapists get to feel more confident when they have little children who stutter in their school caseload. Who knows? I might go back again some time for more training experiences and more dim sum dinners!
