>*" We are keenly aware of what may trigger the block" " but it definitely seems like certain oral and vocal muscles are not working properly at the time of a speech block."* **In my opinion:** A PhD researcher (2023) states that almost all PWS and certainly almost all therapists don't realize that speech blocks occur from: * inhibiting execution of motor movements * not creating a speech plan * not initiating speech movements In this viewpoint, the oral and vocal muscles needed for speech production are working properly, we just don't create a speech plan; we don't instruct/decide to execute motor movements because we rely on an unhelpful timing method to decide whether to execute speech movements, or not. In this viewpoint, we may believe that tension is a trigger. Or that anticipating stuttering, is a trigger. And 100x others that we 'think' are triggers of blocking. When in reality it's actually not. For example, I argue that people don't have the ability to anticipate behavioral responses, it's just imagined, a worry or nervousness. But we identify ourselves so much with stuttering, as if it's true, as if we don't have control over maintaining the forward flow of speech, as if the triggers (that therapists or the media proposes we have) are valid. I explain this much deeper in [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/Stutter/comments/xr6luy/tips_for_people_who_stutter_advice_on_how_to/) post. In this viewpoint, I argue that the *trigger*, that PWS think they experience, are actually triggers from another, secondary issue (and not from the primary root issue of blocking). Let's take an example: * most PWS and therapists believe that articulatory tension alleviates blocks. This is wrong. The physical tension itself can never create a block. You can try this out right now, (1) tense your throat muscles as tense as possible, (2) then pronounce the letter /A/. See? You didn't block. However, PWS and therapists excessively focus on 'reducing articulatory tension'. I argue that this will only enable us to make a habit of: 'My timing of executing speech movement is on the moment that I perceive less articulatory tension'. In other words, this is simply an unhelpful attitude to decide whether to hold back speech or to inhibit speech movements (creating a block). A PhD researcher states that, what most therapists teach us, actually reinforce anticipation, and avoidance-behaviors (such as avoiding speech plans, and avoiding prosody) and reinforce habitual perceptions/attitudes that maintain the vicious circle of the primary symptom of stuttering * Similarly, most adults who stutter have subconsciously learned: 'My timing of executing speech movement is on the moment that I anticipate fluency (or don't anticipate stuttering)'. But in reality, I can walk and move my legs, while at the same time I'm telling myself "*I can't move my legs, I will fail, I will block*". So, in reality, the problem is not anticipation, rather the problem is that we 'blame anticipation' and we require to reduce anticipation in order to decide whether to inhibit motor movements (this is considered an unhelpful timing method) * Similarly, most children who stutter have subconsciously learned: 'My timing of executing speech movement is on the moment that I don't anticipate a certain intensity of negative reactions' (unhelpful timing method) * Fluency shaping and stutter modification techniques are not fluency behaviors (or fluency laws), so they are not required to maintain the forward flow of speech. It's also counter-productive towards natural speech production. Moreover, if we learn to speak in a slower speech rate or with less tension in the anticipation of stuttering, then this is actually considered avoidance-behaviors, because in this way we cancel and reformulate the initial speech plan which reinforces anticipation and avoidance responses (such as avoiding a productive timing method, avoiding natural speech, avoiding the speech plan, avoiding focusing on prosody (which is a fluency law; non-stutterers also need to focus on their prosody to maintain the forward flow of speech, according to research). >*"What is an example of a productive timing method?"* Fluent speakers, or up to 87.5% of people who outgrow stuttering, base their timing to execute speech movement on: * the moment that they have the urge to say a word * speaking immediately on the timing of our intention to speak on our prosody or prosodic phonological encoding (which is a 'plan' that we have created just before speaking regarding how we want to sound) Furthermore, I argue that often therapists and the media state that we should reduce our desire (or urge, intention, decision, instruction) to speak fluently. However, in reality, fluent speakers speak on the timing method: 'The moment that I desire (or have the urge), I say a letter, syllable or word, I execute motor movements'. The negative effect of reducing our desire (or urge) to speak immediately on our own timing when we want to say a word' (a productive timing method), is that we replace it with an unhelpful timing method from a helplessness attitude. Additionally, another negative effect is, that we become less tolerant against (and more sensitive towards) speaking on the timing whenever we have **want** to say a word, so, the next time that we 'desire fluency' we create even stronger emotions, avoidance-behaviors and anticipation (which is caused by avoiding 'desire' to execute speech movements, as explained above) >*"Can you explain in simpler terms the way timing methods may help alleviate some of the block?"* * Step 1. I recommend to detect, identify and analyze your own unhelpful timing methods * Step 2. Analysis phase: write down everything that you do during speech production that is unnecessary (such as, 'just before speaking you hope that you won't fear, or won't anticipate or won't stutter', techniques, avoidance-behaviors or corrections). In this phase you are not allowed to try to speak more fluently. The goal is only to detect everything that you do, such as tensing the back of your neck, tensing belly muscles, short breaths, raising shoulders, and focusing on certain senses, feelings or thoughts. If you feel anticipation anxiety, then be happy because then you achieved the goal of this exercise and you identified yet another thing that you do * Step 3: replace unhelpful timing methods with only one productive timing method: * not relying on experiences, sensory information, thoughts or feelings (to time the motor execution off) * immediately speak a letter on the timing that you right now have the intention to say (that's all, this is the only algorythm to send command signals to move speech muscles) so don't rely on any previous conditional expressions * if you are interested, I explain strategies to alleviate blocks in [these](https://www.reddit.com/user/Little_Acanthaceae87/submitted/) posts