Demands and Capacities Model

Definition

The demands and capacities model is a framework that explains stuttering by examining the interplay between the demands placed on a person to speak and their inherent capacities to manage those demands. It suggests that when the demands of communication exceed an individual's speaking abilities, it can lead to disfluencies or stuttering. This model highlights the dynamic relationship between environmental factors, personal skills, and how they contribute to the experience of stuttering.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The model emphasizes that both internal and external factors influence speech production, making stuttering a complex interaction of various elements.
2. It considers both situational demands, such as speaking in public or under pressure, and individual capacities like cognitive load and emotional state.
3. Children may be particularly vulnerable to stuttering when they face high demands that outpace their developing speaking skills.
4. Therapeutic approaches based on this model focus on reducing communication demands and enhancing the individual's speaking capacities.
5. Understanding the demands and capacities model can help identify specific triggers for stuttering and tailor interventions to the individual's unique needs.

Review Questions

• How does the demands and capacities model explain the occurrence of stuttering in children?
  • The demands and capacities model explains that children may experience stuttering when the demands of communication—like expressing thoughts quickly or engaging in conversations—outweigh their developing speaking abilities. As children's cognitive and linguistic skills grow, they may struggle to keep up with the expectations placed on them by their environment. This mismatch between what is required of them to communicate effectively and what they can currently achieve can lead to disfluencies.
• What strategies might be used in therapy based on the demands and capacities model to assist individuals who stutter?
  • Therapies based on the demands and capacities model might involve reducing external speaking pressures and creating a supportive communication environment. For example, therapists might work on simplifying language tasks or providing more time for responses to decrease situational demands. Additionally, enhancing a person's self-awareness and coping strategies can help build their capacities, enabling them to handle communication demands more effectively.
• Evaluate how understanding the demands and capacities model could impact societal attitudes towards individuals who stutter.
  • Understanding the demands and capacities model could lead to more empathetic societal attitudes by highlighting that stuttering is not merely a personal failing but a complex interaction between various factors. Recognizing that external pressures can exacerbate stuttering might encourage communities to foster more supportive environments for individuals with speech difficulties. This awareness can also drive educational initiatives about communication disorders, helping reduce stigma and promoting inclusivity in social interactions.

Related terms

Fluency: The smoothness or flow of speech, characterized by the absence of disruptions like stuttering.

Disfluency: An interruption in the normal flow of speech, which can include repetitions, prolongations, or blocks.

Speech Therapy: A treatment method aimed at improving communication abilities and managing speech disorders, including stuttering.