No More Stuttering - No More Stammering: A Physiological and Spiritual Cure for Stuttering

By Rabbi Zion Yakar

Because of his background in singing and the immense knowledge that
Rabbi Zion Yakar possesses concerning voice production, breath control, the
anatomy and physiology of speech, and in-depth spiritual training, he was
called upon to help young stutterers overcome their handicap. He found that
when he combined his unconventional and unique method of diversionary
thinking with his knowledge of human voice-production, his spiritual faith
in divine intervention, and psychosomatic instruction in self-renewal, the
results were overwhelmingly successful. This book is a culmination of many
years of research and positive experiences in working with stutterers. He
shares his time-tested and truly unconventional philosophies and practical
approaches with stutterers in this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 8, 2010
• ISBN: 9781453585962

Book preview

No More Stuttering—

No More Stammering

A Physiological

and Spiritual Cure for Stuttering:

A Practical and

Unconventional Approach

Rabbi Zion Yakar

Copyright © 2010 by Rabbi Zion Yakar.

Library of Congress Control Number:     2010914300

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

84902

In memory of the late Rabbi Zion Joseph.

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Endorsements

Introduction

General Review

What Spirituality Has to Do with It

Human Respiratory System

Exercises and Techniques

Bibliography

Appendix

Preface

During a visit to Israel to obtain my rabbinical ordination from the chief rabbinate of Israel, Rabbi Zion Joseph, of blessed memory, a renowned mystic and healer, came to see me at my brother’s house. He had come to speak to me on behalf of two young gentlemen who stuttered. With a charming manner and a deep tone, he said, It is incumbent upon you to help correct the speech of two young men who desperately need your help. I was overwhelmed by the rabbi’s demand because my stay in Israel was limited, and my thoughts and energies were focused on accomplishing my objectives of obtaining my rabbinical ordination. However, I knew that I was unable to refuse this great man and that it would be wrong to do so. Our sages taught us: When a good deed falls into a man’s hands, he shall not miss it.

I managed to devote some time to help the two young gentlemen. One was a young married yeshiva (Torah Academy) student with two little children. The other was an accounting student at the University of Bar-Ilan in the town of Ramat Gan, preparing for his master’s degree. I placed my trust in the Lord’s resourcefulness and guidance to enable me to withstand the challenge. Before my trip back home, the two young gentlemen spoke fluently. The sudden change in the young men’s speech generated disbelief mingled with overflowing joy.

In retrospect, the encounter with this great man reminds me of a far past encounter with a young Hasidic cantor from Jerusalem. He came down to Tel Aviv to ask me to consider the possibility of opening a practice in Jerusalem. He asked me to train Hasidic singers and cantors and other members of his community in voice production. As in the case with Rabbi Zion Joseph, so it was with this young cantor in that I was approached unexpectedly. I, who was a very secular individual at that time, did not expect to be approached by such a religious man. Ironically, he asked me to open a practice in the most religious sector in the city of Jerusalem, which is called Meah Shearim. Back then as a mere secular individual, I enjoyed the thrill of fulfilling my dream of being a classical singer.

Shortly after I opened my practice in Jerusalem, I was approached by parents of children who stuttered as well as adults with severe speech impediments. At the time I did not have any intention to try to deal with cases of stuttering, simply because I did not have any knowledge or experience as to how to treat stuttering. I advised those who sought treatment to see a specialist in the field of speech correction, but members of the community persevered in drawing my attention to their speech problems. The more I encountered cases of speech disorder, the more I became interested and curious about this malady. To better understand this problem, I started following clinical cases and read considerably on topics such as psychology, psychiatry, human anatomy, and in particular otorhinolaryngology. This new knowledge complimented the knowledge that I already had from my years of training in voice and sound production.

One might wonder what these events that occurred in the early 1970s have to do with the story of the two gentlemen whom I helped with their speech. I profoundly believe that those long-ago events have much to do, not only with the healing of the two young gentlemen, but also with the prescribed destiny around which my life evolved. I would have never imagined that I would set aside my passion for the performing arts to become a cantor and, later in life, a rabbi. That faraway encounter, on a hot summer day, with the young Hasidic singers from Jerusalem paved an invisible and sinuous route for a long journey in which I was destined, at some juncture, to meet and heal these two young gentlemen and, as a consequence, to beget this book. My compensation is the crystallization in my mind of the dear values and moral doctrines set by Jewish scripture, which I acquired through hard work, to make myself become worthy of obtaining one of the highest levels of rabbinical ordinations in the Jewish world.

In many ways, the encounter with the young Hasidic Jews in the early 1970s was the first link of a long and invisible chain of events that became more and more evident as to how much the life of a person is an unsolved puzzle. Steady course and persistent haste to fulfill hopes and quench one’s thirst for success and recognition make unexpected incidents seem inconvenient and a disruptive nuisance that slows the momentum of life. Nothing is accidental, no matter how traumatic an event may be. An insightful person is able to make even a tragedy become an onset of a new beginning. Fortunately, the ideas of self-renewal are very much galvanized in my mind; therefore, I always try to see the good in every adverse matter or at least search for it when tumultuous times strike. It prevents confusion of the clarity of my thoughts as to what I should do next. It seems ironic that Jewish sages suggest that sometimes when hardship strikes, one should sit back and do nothing because sometimes what we consider a good initiative may soon prove to be a flaw. The case of the two young gentlemen seemed to be the wrong thing at the wrong time. In retrospect, I am glad that I did not lose the insight as to what was at stake at the time. How could I have affected the hope of the two young gentlemen who suffered for so long, and how deep would their scars be if I would have been selfish and dismissed the rabbi’s request of helping these young men?

In my heart, I deeply believe that the real reason for writing this book is beyond circumstances, place, or time. Thoughts about this particular trip to Israel have revisited my mind numerous times. I am truly convinced that the fervor and urging desire that imbued me for two years prior to my voyage to achieve my rabbinical ordination amazingly occurred during the most stressful financial time of my life. This was no coincidence.

I had a long overdue wish of fulfilling a desire to become a rabbi, and I had never felt so hastened and propelled by a sense of urgency as I felt in respect to this particular trip to Israel. In retrospect, I profoundly believe that my decision to obtain my rabbinical ordination and the timing of this trip was all a part of a divine plan. If I would have not travelled to Israel at that particular time, perhaps I would have never been able to meet with the two gentlemen, for Rabbi Joseph passed away almost immediately after my return to the United States. Rabbi Joseph’s care and constant presence were an immeasurable source of courage and support during my challenging days in Israel.

The chain of events, the characters, and the circumstances that made this story unfold can be a palpitating testimony of the living mystery as to how and when the Creator intervenes in a person’s life. I thank the Almighty for allowing a simple man like myself to be an important player in such a divine maneuver. The Lord blessed and rewarded me for my hard work through which I displayed my profound love for him.

Before my departure, Rabbi Joseph came to say farewell. At some point he stretched his arms and put them on my shoulders and said, Look at me! His big dark eyes sparked with a penetrating, fiery look. Before I let you go, you must promise me that you will finally put your method on paper, he pressed.

I have not practiced speech correction for many years, I replied.

I do not accept such an answer, Rabbi Joseph fired back.

I knew that my refusal was out of the question and that it would be a great insult to him.

Prior to my efforts of gathering the exercises and the ideas of my method, I was curious to know how many writings about speech correction were available for the public in bookstores. I went to prominent bookstores where one would expect to easily find such needed material, but to my astonishment, I could not find even one book about speech correction, not to mention stuttering. Though in institutions of higher education such material can be found, in local public libraries, however, it is not available. In the best-case scenario, one has to order the desired material through the library clerk and wait, hoping to be called at a later date if the material would be found. This reality made me determined to, indeed, follow Rabbi Zion Joseph’s incumbency and start putting my method on paper for the benefit of all those who need it. Therefore, I dedicate this text to celebrate the memory of the late Rabbi Zion Joseph.

Original letters of gratitude translated to English from the two young men and other past patients can be seen at the end of this textbook.

Thus says the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich glory in his riches. But let him that glories, glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who exercises faithful love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.

—Jeremiah 9:22-23

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my sincere thanks to Dr. Claudia Bird from the Department of Speech Pathology at Eastern New Mexico University for reviewing the material of this book and for her gracious endorsement. Also, I offer my thanks to Dr. Sheerli Rush of Walden University, Minneapolis, Minnesota, for her reviewing and endorsing of the psychological writings. It is impossible not to mention my dear friend, Dr. Rod Rosfeld, from the School of Pharmacy of University of New Mexico, for his constructive review of the physiology and anatomy chapter and for his endorsement of this book.

As a special acknowledgment, I want to express my profound appreciation to Margie Salaz who, despite her illness, devoted much time with the editing and always made herself available to help with this project.

I also wish to acknowledge Tineesha and Brian Salaz for agreeing to perform the modeling of the various exercises which are described in the Exercises and Techniques chapter.

Endorsements

Stuttering and fluency issues can be a daunting task for the person who stutters as well as the speech-language pathologist helping him deal. Rabbi Zion Yakar’s insightful approach takes stuttering therapy outside the box and presents meaningful options. His holistic approach takes stuttering therapy into a new and innovative paradigm. This book is a definite read, not just for stutterers and those who deal with stuttering challenges, but for anyone who is ready to see a new outlook on life.

Dr. Claudia J. Bird, SLPD-CCC,

Eastern New Mexico University,

Portales, New Mexico

Whether we have experienced a speech impediment or know someone who has, the wisdom and timeless messages included in this book remind us that living with integrity and faith in a higher power can help us overcome even the most gargantuan hurdles. Through experience and expertise, Rabbi Zion Yakar has developed a systematic treatment for stuttering that provides both physical and spiritual healing to every soul that has been affected by such a challenge.

Sheerli Rush, PhD

Clinical Psychology, Walden University,

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Rabbi Yakar goes in-depth on the respiratory apparatus so that the fundamental groundwork for his methodology is well established. The anatomic perspective provides a whole new, unexplored dimension for the intended patient population. Additionally, he brings the theological dimension to clinical science. Together, these perspectives address this pathology from a holistic approach and make this work unique and insightful.

Rod Rosfeld, Pharm. D.,

University of New Mexico,

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Introduction

This textbook, which consists of four chapters, presents a unique method in dealing with the problem of stuttering in adults and adolescents in particular. This text is not meant to be medical, scientific, theological, or philosophical in any shape or form. The method is based on my many years of practical experience as a voice and speech instructor of singers, actors, teachers, and ordinary people. In the first chapter, General Review, I outline the challenges that stuttering presents to those who are afflicted by it and the ongoing striving of society to eradicate it.

The reader may find, in many instances, information that might seem redundant, but nonetheless, the repetition of essential ideas was a necessity. These crucial concepts are central to the speech patients eventual healing. Therefore, they are repeatedly stressed throughout this book. Please be aware that the repetition of these core ideas is intentional.

In the second chapter, What Spirituality Has to Do with It, I unfold my firm belief that true healing starts with a mind-set of a pure consciousness that is able to awaken innate personal power beyond the physical nature of the human body. My encouragement as to how much learning of scripture is essential for achieving such a mind-set is not a shrewd-coercing attempt to sway people away from their beliefs. My firm belief is that ancient wisdom is wrapped within scripture to produce an unexplainable power of healing beyond human grasp.

In the third chapter, The Human Respiratory System, I articulate important physiological networks of speech that are essential for speech patients to know and master. Muscle groups, nerves, cartilages, ligaments, and other anatomies involved in speech and sound production and their role and distinct functions are presented as well. The fourth chapter consists of the modus operandi that I developed that is aimed at guiding patients (stutterers) step-by-step through a very unique training process to help eradicate their impediment.

It is extremely important that the therapist reviews and discusses the history of speech correction with his patients and highlights the continuous struggle of those who are afflicted by speech impediments. Among them were leaders of nations, celebrities, and people from all walks of life. With that, it is also important to make the patient well aware of the ongoing efforts by the many great men and women scientists and professionals in the realm of speech correction to find a decisive answer to this mysterious malady. It is important that the patient acknowledges the cognizance that the speech correction profession has earned in the medical world.

It is equally essential to the patient, as well as to the therapist, to thoroughly review the physiological elements or rather the components of the speech mechanism before pursuing this method. When a patient is well informed about the speech process and the structural functions involved, he will be more appreciative of the workout and more knowledgeable of the fundamentals necessary for progress. This is to say, he will know that each exercise has its own task and specific goal to expedite a cure.

The content of this book can serve as an encouragement tool, not only for the patient himself, but for the challenged family members as well as they participate in the healing process of their son or daughter. In addition, the many pertinent and uplifting spiritual quotations from scriptures that embellish the therapy sessions will make a positive contribution to the personal state of mind of siblings and family members in reckoning with their own personal life.

As an observant Jewish individual, I devotedly believe that the supreme wisdom of the Almighty is present at all times and is ready to be called upon and to respond to those in need who call upon him in truth. Scriptures help the participants to be partners of the sublime Creator in the healing process.

We all know that speech impediments have a kernel of psychological disturbance, and this kernel must be flushed out before any progress can be achieved. Once a therapist succeeds in removing the psychological hurdles that hinder the patient’s way toward normalcy, a cure can be achieved. I believe that this method comprises the necessary tools to do so. This does not mean that a patient has to navigate through boring and demoralizing psychology sessions but rather enjoy a routine that combines body and mind exercises that will help build lasting, personal, friendly therapist-patient relationships that will, undoubtedly, extend to the patient’s family circles.

This book addresses some environmental and social challenges that the community of stutterers face on a daily basis. Problems such as insensitivity, cynicism, impatience, selfishness, and failure of parents, teachers, and close friends to provide proper support to the speech-handicapped individual. Needless to say, these conditions are most damaging to the disabled individual but also have a gnawing and corroding effect on the well-being of society.

This text does not, in any way, intend to undermine the awesome contribution and the genius of those who devoted great measures of their lives to help find a cure for a malady that has so many sinuous features and dimensions. Nor does it intend to diminish the efforts of the many wonderful professionals in the present who follow the steps of their great predecessors. Indeed, it is my profound hope that all those who are involved in the healing process—whether it be a therapist, parent, teacher, or pastor—will find this textbook worthy of study and review and become partners and proponents of its ideas. This method is a humble contribution that carries an unconventional approach to speech correction. It is aimed in particular at helping adolescents and adults who suffer from speech problems though younger individuals can be helped through the participation of parents in the healing process. If a therapy session of this method is conducted and executed properly, it can be productive and uplifting to all participants who suffer from speech impediments.

In conclusion, this text does not harbor any personal theological agenda, nor does it serve as a physiology, psychology, or a biology course. The scriptural verses, the physiology, the psychology, and the biology information that I chose to include are essential for depicting the necessary wholesome process of speech. The unconditional method proposed in this text serves as a crystal clear guiding route toward recovery. As a result of my long experience, this journey will not only speed recovery but will also replenish in the patient’s mind a new attitude and new insight on life in general.

General Review

Speech Disorders

The French philosopher René Descartes wrote the following statement in 1649, Now all men, the most stupid and the most foolish, those even the most deprived of the organs of speech, make use of signs; whereas, the brutes never do anything of the kind, which may be taken for the true distinction between man and brute.

Man’s urge to communicate with his environment and give meaning to his thoughts is obviously the seed from which the six thousand languages spoken today on earth sprang from. Therefore, all languages have the same root despite the fact that speakers of one language find it hard to converse with speakers of a different language (see the chapter What Spirituality Has to Do with It). Depiction and description of thoughts and their organization in the mind were a catalyzing factor for the formation of words, sentences, dialects, and finally languages and their distinct grammar.

The English language is a vibrant example of man’s desire to unite in language and exhaust all efforts to fulfill his desire to thrive. The English language is woven by a variety of ethnic, geographic, demographic, regional, and finally American dialects. The inner city black dialect is an example of one of many of the American dialects that have evolved over time with an ethnic group.

Efficiency in expressing thoughts and ideas fluently and effectively in interrelations is a perpetual challenge in one’s daily integration in society. We become anxious and uncomfortable when we are inadequate in constructing and expressing a meaningful thought whether it is because of poor vocabulary, bad grammar, speech deficiency, or speaking a foreign language. We feel complete and effective when we are able to apply all the properties of the language we speak. This means that when we speak, we are creative in depicting the content of our thoughts to articulate a meaningful and eloquent speech, to utter well-structured sentences, and to be able to experience pleasant, interpersonal speaking. Essentially this means the ability to stir up the thoughts and interests of others in what we say by how well we express ourselves.

The manner and style in which we express our thoughts and convey them during speech tell who we really are except perhaps a slick salesperson and others who apply sophistry and mastery in falsehood. Eloquence in speech is the noble wish of every person. When people emigrate from their country in pursuit of happiness in a foreign country, the first thing that imbues their mind is reckoning with learning the language of the hosting people.

It is amazing that all six thousand languages of the world are comprised of vowels, consonants, words, sentences, and paragraphs for structuring meaningful speech. But in every language, there are a different set of rules (phonological rules) that instruct in phoneme combinations. These rules can produce different sounds in phoneme combinations in their respective languages. For example, ch in French will sound like sh as in the word cher precious, expensive, in English it will sound as in chair while in Italian, the ch sounds like a k or a hard c, as in che, which. A common phenomenon in languages exists in the formation of morphemes, a linguistic unit that forms meaningful words. Examples include the following: Long-English, Lang-German, Long-French.

All language properties, such as those delineated above, can be exhaustively used by an efficient speech apparatus of an individual who is free of psychological impediment, learned speech inadequacies, or deformity of speech anatomies. But unfortunately, there are millions of people in the world who suffer from the inability to communicate and interrelate adequately because of psychological impediments, deformity, and other impeding factors. This method is aimed to cure only speech deficiencies that originate from psychological and behavioral reasons.

Since ancient times, speech disorders have occupied and tormented hearts and minds of countless individuals. Leaders of nations, scholars, and ordinary people were victims of this mysterious and almost uncontrollable malady. Many have spent a substantial portion of their lives investing in and striving to find a cure for their ordeal. They consistently struggle against fear, embarrassment, issues of self-esteem, depression, etc., in dealing with the inability to manage their speech disorder.

Moses, the extraordinary leader of the enslaved Hebrews (1430 BC), tried to excuse himself from adhering to the request given to him by God, claiming speech impediment. Moses was afraid to face the pharaoh of Egypt to demand the release of the people of Israel from its midst. Moses stated, I am slow of speech and slow of tongue (Exodus 4:10).

The great Greek orator and statesman, Demosthenes (fourth century BCE), who desired to save his nation from moral and political decline, also struggled with inspiring will and determination to cure his speech disorder. He attempted to do so by filling the sublingual part of his anatomy with pebbles as an effort to correct his inadequate speech. Another Greek, Bathos, turned to the oracles for salvation from his speech problem.

In a small village in Israel called Beth-Shemesh, a stone was discovered with a plea etched on it—the desperation of a man seeking a cure for his abnormal speech. In the Middle Ages, physicians cut off a portion of the stutterer’s tongue as a common practice to correct speech. Some physicians in the present era still apply this practice to correct speech. In the nineteenth century, wires were stretched under the tongue and attached to both sets of molar teeth to help correct speech.

Today’s approaches include speech pathology; psychiatric, cognitive, behavioral therapy; medical etiology; and speech therapy. But unfortunately, there is no assurance for a definitive and enduring cure, which would help restore normalcy and confidence in speech patients.

Scholars and professionals in the realm of speech correction hold conferences in local, national, and international levels to discuss speech abnormalities and present new ideas and new findings from pharmacological, psychiatric, pathological, psychological, and technical standpoints. Their goal is to advance the treatment of speech abnormalities. Such a conference was held in the state of Nevada in February 2003 by the Nevada Psychiatric Association. The conference had concluded that speech disorders were caused by abnormalities of the larynx and tongue, which in a couple of cases had led to cauterizing part of the tongue or injecting the substance botulinum into the patient’s larynx to facilitate speech. But in both cases, little progress was achieved in resolving the speech disorder. Psychiatrists also used agents such as benzodiazepine to help decrease anxiety (short-term effect) and haloperidol for improving fluency of speech. (But it shows short-term efficacy and has adverse side effects such as tardive dyskinesia—late onset of abnormal movements, which mimics Parkinson’s disease, tremors, etc.) The conference reported that today five million people in the United States of America suffer from speech disorders. This problem accounts for 1 percent of the adult population and 4 percent of children.

Although great progress by psychiatric societies, medical scholars, and other professionals has been accomplished worldwide since the beginning of the twentieth century, the wishful defeat and a defining blow has not yet been brought upon this sinuous disorder. Efforts and research by individual scientists during most of the first half of the twentieth century helped establish the profession of speech correction as a new branch of modern medicine. Professionals developed theories which focused on the peripheral causes of speech and developed exercises that trained patients in motor and sensory activities such as tongue exercises and placement of articulators.

The approach to speech correction during the first part of the second half of the twentieth century was more holistic. Clinicians developed methods for auditory and visual training that were mainly concerned with language processing. This period of speech correction was followed by a generation of clinicians who were concerned about the behavioral aspect of speech. They developed exercises that were repetitive in nature to train patients in overcoming their speech inadequacy. In recent times, the practice of speech therapy has become more pragmatic and focused on training aimed to help speech patients cope with situations of everyday life.

No one can argue that ample respect is due to the medical science for its noble strides in the advancement of medicine; but on the other hand, no one can deny the fact that medical science in its entirety is imperfect. This means that conventional medicine does not guarantee healing despite the many breakthroughs in medical science. The following quote is included in a general consent form given to patients insured by the Lovelace Health Plan offered in New Mexico: I understand that the practice of medicine is not an exact science, and I acknowledge that no guarantees have been made to me as to the result of examination, treatment, or procedures performed by LHS and its providers. Obviously, the above statement by LHS is an attempt to avoid financial liability, but it also connotes the scientific shortfall that may occur in treating patients. There is an objective reason why so many people seek treatment for their ills in alternative medicine. Albeit, alternative medicine may breed charlatanism; nevertheless, new ideas for helping cure ills should be continued to be developed, including ideas for curing speech impediments.

The cause of stuttering and stammering is uncertain in the minds of the general public. Of course, this crowd includes psychiatrists and psychologists. If stuttering falls into the realm of psychology and psychiatry, as one may assume, then it has to fall into one of the seventeen categories of mental disorders listed in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) issued by the American Psychiatric Association. Since there is no agreement among psychiatrists as to what causes or constitutes any mental disorder, then it is reasonable to assume that there is no agreement as to what causes stuttering.

It is needless to mention that mental disorders are considered a social dilemma, for they can be harmful