5 Questions to Ask Your Students who Stutter at the Beginning of the School Year

As speech-language pathologists, we understand the importance of building strong therapeutic relationships with our students who stutter. The start of a new school year presents a unique opportunity to reconnect and set a positive course for the year ahead. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) offers a powerful framework for empowering students and fostering growth.

By incorporating the following questions into your initial sessions, you can create a supportive and goal-oriented environment for your students.

What is Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)?

SFBT is a short-term, goal-oriented therapy approach that emphasizes solutions rather than problems. It focuses on building on strengths and creating a positive outlook. For SLPs working with students who stutter, SFBT can be a powerful tool for empowering students and fostering a collaborative therapeutic relationship.

“Find out what is already working and do more of it. Move from what’s going wrong to what’s going well—and what else, and what else, and what else?” - Frances Cook, MSc, MRCSLT (Hons) Cert. CT (Oxford)

Read more about Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and stuttering here.

5 Sample Solution-Focused Questions to Start the School Year

To begin building a strong therapeutic alliance and setting the stage for a successful school year, consider asking your students these questions:

"What’s something you enjoyed this summer?"

Building rapport is everything! Asking about their summer allows them to share something they enjoyed, helping you learn more about their interests and experiences outside of school and building rapport and trust. Remember, it’s okay if their answer doesn’t directly relate to stuttering—communication is woven into all aspects of their lives, and understanding their interests gives you valuable insight into the contexts where communication might play a significant role.

"What’s a skill you’re proud of that you used this summer?"

This question encourages your students to reflect on their strengths and accomplishments. Whether it’s a communication skill they used or another area they’re proud of, this question helps them recognize their capabilities. By highlighting what they did well, you reinforce their strengths, a key principle of SFBT. Again, whether they talk about stuttering or not, the skills they highlight could inform how you approach communication in areas that matter most to them.

"What are you looking forward to or hoping to achieve this school year?"

Asking about their hopes or goals for the year encourages your students to think about the future and what they want to accomplish. This forward-thinking question allows them to articulate their desires and set positive goals, giving you valuable insights into what matters most to them. Whether they mention a class field trip, a presentation, or simply making new friends, these goals often involve communication. Understanding what they’re excited about can guide your support in helping them participate fully and confidently.

"What’s something you’ve learned about yourself/stuttering that you want to remember this year?"

This question encourages self-reflection and helps your students think about their personal growth. By focusing on what they’ve learned about themselves, especially in relation to stuttering, you’re helping them carry forward positive insights into the new school year. However, it’s also okay if they reflect on something unrelated to stuttering—personal growth is multifaceted, and any lesson they carry forward can contribute to their overall confidence and resilience.

"What’s one thing you’d like to try or do differently in our therapy sessions this year?"

Empowering your students to have a say in their therapy can make a big difference in their engagement and motivation. This question invites them to think about their therapy in a proactive way, considering what they might want to change or explore. Whether it’s focusing on a particular goal or simply adjusting the way you work together, this question helps tailor your sessions to their evolving needs. It’s also an opportunity to explore any new interests or skills they’ve developed that could be integrated into therapy, whether directly related to stuttering or not.

Using these solution-focused questions at the start of the school year can help you connect with your students who stutter in a meaningful and supportive way. By focusing on their strengths, experiences, and hopes, you’re setting a positive tone for the year ahead and empowering your students to take an active role in their own therapy. It’s important to remember that communication is inherently tied to your student’s interests and goals, even if they don’t always directly discuss stuttering. These questions not only provide valuable insights but also help build a collaborative and forward-thinking therapeutic relationship.

References

Cook, F. (2011, July 26). Solution-Focused brief Therapy. Stuttering Foundation: A Nonprofit Organization Helping Those Who Stutter. https://www.stutteringhelp.org/solution-focused-brief-therapy#:~:text='%20The%20process%20of%20therapy%20involves,the%20future%20and%20solution%20focused.

Lutz, A. (2022, April 21). What is Solution-Focused Therapy · Solution-Focused Therapy Institute. The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy. https://solutionfocused.net/what-is-solution-focused-therapy/#:~:text=Solution%2DFocused%20Brief%20Therapy%20(SFBT)%20is%20a%20short%2D,rather%20than%20focusing%20on%20problems.

Ramos-Heinrichs, L. (2023). Solution-Focused Brief therapy for stuttering in the public schools: Children solve their own stuttering problems in this case study. Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 54(4), 1038–1051. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_lshss-22-00172