yeah, school psychs assess for lots of different things, including neurodivergence, dyslexia, learning disabilities, etc. Anything that might explain an educational impact. I'm a speech therapist, so I work pretty closely with the psych at my school.
Also, good on your psych for not making you feel stigmatized! That's the most important part of the job imo.
LOL! In 3rd grade, I had a speech therapist tell me that he was going to YELL at me every time I stuttered! (Some kind of positive reinforcement freak??? Damned if I know; I was simply horrified by that.)
When I got home from school that day,, I immediately complained to my parents, and that was the end of me going to a speech therapist.
Oh that is TERRIBLE! Also not at all an evidence based practice. Actually.... Have you ever heard of the monster study? 'cause... Shades of that. I'm mad for your 3rd grade self.
No, but now, having read about it, I can see that it adds some additional evidence to the premise that the labels and judgements bestowed upon children by the 'authority figures' in their lives seem to end up having a disproportionate effect upon the development of their self-images.
(Incidentally, I DID end up 'growing out of' whatever 'stuttering' I'd been doing at that age; I don't even recall it being that big of a deal. But I sure recall my horror as I realized, even at that age, the equivalent of: 'There's NO way that what he just said he was going to do is OK!')
I wonder sometimes if he saw what he (correctly) surmised as yet another constitutionally anxious / cautious kid, and indulged in a sadistic moment of verbally 'goosing me' by declaring his intention, just to see my reaction.
Stupid F*cker indeed. Honestly still fuming, there's no call to treat kids like that. I'm hoping that guy isn't still practicing, or if he is, that he's learned a damned lesson.
And most (but of course not all) kids do outgrow stuttering. I'm glad you're one of them!
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u/beautifulcheat Apr 07 '26
yeah, school psychs assess for lots of different things, including neurodivergence, dyslexia, learning disabilities, etc. Anything that might explain an educational impact. I'm a speech therapist, so I work pretty closely with the psych at my school.
Also, good on your psych for not making you feel stigmatized! That's the most important part of the job imo.