A Lawyer’s Determination to Regain Her Speech–And the Confidence That Came with It
Abby Barnes, M.S., CCC-SLP
Imagine being able to speak without problems your whole life–then suddenly, you find yourself stuttering and struggling to get your words out. That’s what happened to Ada, a lawyer, wife, mother, and business owner.
After years of dealing with her stutter, Ada knew she needed support. That’s when she found Expressable and took a leap of faith to start speech therapy.
Ada made life-changing progress in her ability to speak more fluently. However, as she puts it, her speech therapy journey and the confidence she gained along the way were just as transformative as the end results.
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Get startedAn unexpected shift in speech
The first part of Ada’s story goes back to 2009. She was in a terrible car accident that left her with plenty of physical and emotional healing to go through. Despite her injuries, at the time Ada’s speech appeared unaffected.
Flash-forward several years later. Ada is attending law school. She’s in the middle of a moot court competition, conversing with the judge. She knows her case backward and forward. Nothing can stop her–until she goes to speak. Nothing comes out. She’s fumbling over her words and can't say what she wants. That’s the moment that everything changed for Ada.
Speaking had been effortless for Ada. Now, not only was she having difficulty speaking, but she was also being reminded every day of the car accident.
Ada began stuttering in everyday conversation. Her specific signs of stuttering included beginning and part-word repetitions, or repeating the first sound or syllable of a word. She also experienced blocks, in which she was unable to move her mouth and use her voice to continue speaking. Her doctors suspected the stuttering was due to the car accident from years before.
Naturally, Ada began to miss the communicator she’d been before. Speaking had been effortless for her. Now, not only was she having difficulty speaking, but she was also being reminded every day of the car accident and its effects on her life.
Starting online speech therapy at Expressable
Ada had tried speech therapy in the past, but she didn’t achieve the outcomes she was hoping for. A few years later, tired of dealing with her stuttering, she searched online for speech therapy and saw Expressable’s name at the top of the page.
Ada completed our consultation process and soon was matched with her speech therapist, Madison Morris. Upon hearing the news that a speech therapist was ready for her, Ada felt a little nervous. She said to herself, “You have a time, and a date. It’s time to get to work!”
That determination, even through moments of uncertainty, is exactly what helped Ada make her incredible progress.
Personalized techniques to help with stuttering
Madison and Ada had their first online session, an evaluation that enabled Madison to understand Ada’s needs and recommend speech therapy goals for her.
The two worked together to find stuttering techniques that felt best to Ada. One of her personal goals was to not avoid speaking or using words she knew might give her trouble. To help with this, Madison taught Ada a technique called light contacts. They also showed her how to use breath support to improve her fluency, or smoothness of speech.
'Say what you want to say.' Those simple but powerful words caused a total mindset shift in Ada.
Another useful strategy for Ada was tapping out the rhythm of words as she spoke. This helped her find a rhythm, almost like music, to make her words and cadence flow more smoothly.
Apart from these fluency techniques, Madison had one key takeaway they wanted Ada to know: “Say what you want to say.” Those simple but powerful words caused a total mindset shift in Ada. She knew that whatever she wanted to say was important and worth saying, even if she stuttered as she said it. Madison told Ada, “You are a good communicator. Full stop, no ifs, ands, or buts. The stutter does not impair your ability to communicate.”
Ada’s speech therapy results: ‘The freedom to say what I want to’
Ada worked hard, attending weekly sessions with Madison for 9 months. Ada said she felt “seen” by Madison. Their partnership, rapport, and mutual respect for one another helped Ada continue to put in the effort, not just in each session, but outside of sessions, as well. She did her exercises every week between appointments and came to their meetings with questions and insights.
Ada’s story is a true testament to the power of the client and therapist relationship, and her diligence paid off. Ada’s stuttering decreased noticeably. Aside from that, she began telling Madison that she was no longer avoiding words when speaking with others.
At the start of speech therapy, and for many years before, Ada had been wishing to somehow go back to how she spoke before the accident. She no longer feels that way, saying, “I like my speech even better now!”
When asked what she’s gained from her time in speech therapy, Ada says, “Everything! The freedom to say what I want to. To not feel paralyzed. And to feel that what I have to say is important.”
With Ada having made so many gains in her fluency, as well as her confidence, Madison knew the work was done. It was naturally a bit sad for both of them to end sessions, but Ada knows Madison is just an email away if she needs anything. Ada also feels confident knowing she can still access all her practice materials using Expressable’s online portal. Educational resources like demo videos and practice activities are always kept available for clients after graduation.
Find out more about online speech therapy
If you’re considering speech therapy for yourself, your child, or a loved one, there’s no reason to wait. Expressable has worked with thousands of clients to achieve life-changing outcomes like Ada’s. And like Ada, what you have to say is worth saying.
Please know that support is here. Get started by scheduling a free consultation call to find out how speech therapy can help. This story and photo were published with permission from the client.
