RICHARDSON, Texas (May 14, 2003) — Speech pathologists at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) will expand their popular summer therapy sessions for youngsters who stutter with the addition of a second speech "camp."

For the fourth consecutive year, the university will offer its "Tricks for Talking" program twice a week for a period of six weeks, beginning June 9. The program is designed for children who need to learn new ways to manage their stuttering, either because they have been unsuccessful in previous speech therapy or have not been in therapy before.

In addition, "Speak Out!," a therapeutic program inaugurated last fall as an after-school session, will be offered during the summer for the first time this year. Speak Out!, which will begin June 10 and be held two days a week for six weeks, is aimed at youngsters who have learned some strategies to manage their speech, but require more practice incorporating the techniques into everyday conversations.

Although aimed at children and adolescents in different stages of the therapeutic process, both programs have the same goal - to provide an enjoyable, supportive atmosphere in which people for whom stuttering is a chronic problem can practice strategies to improve speech fluency, said Natasha Anderson, a speech language pathologist at UTD's Callier Center for Communication Disorders. Anderson and her colleague, Janice W. Lougeay, a member of the UTD faculty in communications disorders, direct the two speech programs.

"Talking for most people is enjoyable, but it can be a stressful activity for those who stutter," said Anderson. "In Tricks for Talking and Speak Out!, students learn to manage and control their fluency while interacting with their peers and receiving support from clinicians. The result is usually an increased level of confidence and improved speech."

Both programs feature small- and large-group therapy activities to enable students to practice their speech. These include videotaped productions, interactive games and public speaking.

Therapy is provided by UTD graduate students in communications disorders, specially trained in stuttering assessment and intervention, under the guidance of the clinical faculty. The camps are conducted on the UTD campus in Richardson.

Enrollment in both programs is limited - 17 students in Tricks for Talking and just eight in Speak Out! - in order to provide the maximum possible attention to each student. As a result, both summer camps are fully enrolled and the university now has a waiting list for those who wish to participate. However, openings are available for next fall's Speak Out! after-school program.

For information on costs, schedules and enrollment procedures of UTD's speech fluency programs, please contact Anderson at 972-883-2250 or tasha@speechspecialists.com or Lougeay at 214-905-3114 or Lougeay@utdallas.edu.

Both Anderson and Lougeay are speech language pathologists with extensive experience in treating individuals who stutter. Lougeay also teaches classes in stuttering therapy at UTD. Anderson served as a fluency consultant for the Richardson Independent School District for several years.

About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls more than 13,000 students. The school's freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university's Web site at http://www.utdallas.edu.