56 Chapter 3
Case Study 3-3: Stuttering Therapy in a Camp Situation
The University Stuttering Camp has an excellent reputation. Affiliated with one of the larg-
est universities in the Midwest, it is held in early August and provides 12 teen agers with 8 days
of intensive stuttering therapy. Twelve student clinicians from the United States and Canada are
selected from among many applicants to provide clinical ser vices. There are two full- time clinical
supervisors, and the program is directed by a visiting professor. Several volunteers, members of
a national stuttering association, also attend. They take vacation time and leave from their jobs
to help the campers with their stuttering prob lems. In addition, a large corporation has donated
several computers and stuttering treatment programs. The campers, their parents, clinicians, and
volunteers f ly to the Midwest, taxi to the camp, and meet for the first time. A local tele vi sion crew
is on hand to capture the event.
The camp is located on 40 picturesque acres owned by a national ser vice organ ization and
provided to the university free of charge. It is on the outskirts of the city, nestled in the surround-
ing rolling hills with small farms. At the center of the camp is a large pavilion, a fire pit for the
nightly campfires, a mess hall, and four rows of very small cottages. In the cottages, the campers,
clinicians, and volunteers bunk. A small fish- filled creek runs through the property, and just down
the dirt road is an ancient, huge, red barn with a loft, horse stalls, and stacks of hay. Every day after
the stuttering therapy sessions end, the director of the camp, supervisors, and clinicians meet at
the barn and have lively discussions about stuttering theories and practices. Sitting on hay bales,
the eager student clinicians discuss the joys and frustrations of stuttering therapy.
Each morning at 7:00 a.m., the camp is awakened by the ringing of the meal bell. The cottages
gradually empty, and sleepy people walk to the mess hall, where breakfast is served. At 8:15 a.m.,
the clinical staff meets in the pavilion to review the daily treatment objectives and the methods
that will be used to achieve them. Because there are 12 gradu ate clinicians from 12 dif fer ent
universities, the therapies provided to the campers are an eclectic mix, tailored to each camper’s
unique history. Attempts are made to be consistent with the therapies provided to the campers
before they came to the camp, but variation and experimentation are also encouraged.
At 9:00 a.m., campers and clinicians pair off for 3 hours of individual therapy. The sessions are
conducted in the pavilion, the barn, and the cottages. Also, clinicians and campers simply walk
the rolling hills, capture butterf lies, and pick f lowers; some even fish the creek. The director and
supervisors oversee the sessions, but they are careful to remain in the background as much as pos-
si ble. At noon, lunch is served in the mess hall. The director, supervisors, and clinicians eat in the
pavilion, review and adjust the treatment plans, and discuss pro gress. The campers and volunteers
eat together in the amphitheater a few yards from the cabins. After lunch, another hour of indi-
vidual stuttering therapy is provided. Afterward, the campers and volunteers do what they have
been eagerly anticipating: they take long hikes, shoot model rockets into the humid sky, practice
hitting large targets with bows and arrows, play softball on a makeshift diamond, and do other
enjoyable activities. The clinical staff meet in the barn and write treatment plans. After supper,
movies are shown for the campers and volunteers in the amphitheater. They then play games and
have lively discussions late into the eve ning. During the exit interviews, many campers remark that
the time spent with the volunteers from the national stuttering association provided them with
valuable insights and coping strategies. They also appreciated the fact that only the volunteers and
campers spent that time together. One camper proudly remarked, “You had to be a stutterer” to be
a member of that select group.
Day 7 of the stuttering camp is eagerly anticipated by campers, volunteers, and clinical staff
alike. At 10:00 a.m., several large vans enter the camp to take every one to a large shopping mall.
Located in the city, the mall is three stories tall, with hundreds of stores, eating establishments,
video game rooms, skateboarding facilities, and even an ice rink. Clinicians and their clients pair
off and go “trophy hunting”—an opportunity for the clients to use their f luency tools in real situ-
ations. The clients ask directions, request change, order food, and do all the things teen agers do