01-11-2003 03:22									#1
	Ahem! MrFun! Dismissal Considered in Stuttering Lawsuit Got spare money?

Kindly explain this, if you're able.

By TODD DVORAK, Associated Press Writer

IOWA CITY, Iowa - A judge is considering whether to dismiss a lawsuit filed against the state by six former orphans who took part in a University of Iowa stuttering experiment more than 60 years ago.

The lawsuit seeks compensation for lifelong emotional and psychological problems the plaintiffs say were partly due to their unwitting participation in the study.

Researchers used 22 children from an orphanage as test subjects, badgering some of them about imperfections in their speech to try to induce stuttering . According to the study, none became stutterers, but some became reluctant to speak or self-conscious about their speech.

District Judge Thomas Horan heard arguments Thursday on whether the suit should be dismissed. He did not say when he would issue a ruling.

Craig Kelinson, assistant attorney general, said the state cannot be held liable for something that happened in 1939. Even assuming the allegations are true, "at the time this matter arose you could not sue the state," said Kelinson.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs say it's not a question of when the act occurred, but when the damage was discovered by the victims.

"The party's right to sue begins when they find out about (the damage)," said Curt Krull, an attorney for the plaintiffs.

Krull says it wasn't until 2001, when the study was made public in a series of stories in the San Jose Mercury News, that test subjects realized what had been done to them.

The lawsuit claims the university and researchers withheld their findings, lied to the orphanage about the research and did nothing to reverse the damage that had been done to the children.

The 1939 experiment was led by Dr. Wendell Johnson, a pioneer in the field of speech pathology. Johnson, who himself had stuttered as a child, dismissed prevailing theories that stuttering had genetic roots.

Instead, he believed it was a learned behavior tied to external influences, such as parental criticism and pressure.

	01-11-2003 03:23									#2
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BAD Iowans! BAD!

	01-11-2003 05:39									#3
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These results support my theory that stuttering IS NOT a matter of trauma or upbringing, but genetic roots. I kept saying so to the speach therapist I met during my teen years, but that commie b!tch would not listen to any biologist theories. She was hoping to find out that my dad had raped me or something.

Here's something that might help:

http://www.speecheasy.com/home.shtml

Quite expensive device. According to the inventors, it helps 9 out of 10. The idea is that hearing your own echo should annoy you so much that you will slow down your speach and stop stuttering. It did not work on me though, as the echo in my ear did not bother me at all. Others get so annoyed by the echo so that they slow down and starts to speak more clearly. I tried it on my wife and she could hardly speak at all when the echo was on.

However, the evaluation tought me a lot about myself - slowing down 30-50 % actually makes me speek faster! With some self-discipline, I can do that without the echo, but it really takes discipline. Well, I'm immune to the echo anyway, so there you go. I'm currently training to speak slowly while reading books to my kids, and hope to soon apply it to regular conversions as well.

	01-11-2003 05:41									#4
	Re: Ahem! MrFun! Dismissal Considered in Stuttering Lawsuit Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

quote: Originally posted by SlowwHand Kindly explain this, if you're able. By TODD DVORAK, Associated Press Writer IOWA CITY, Iowa - A judge is considering whether to dismiss a lawsuit filed against the state by six former orphans who took part in a University of Iowa stuttering experiment more than 60 years ago. The lawsuit seeks compensation for lifelong emotional and psychological problems the plaintiffs say were partly due to their unwitting participation in the study. Researchers used 22 children from an orphanage as test subjects, badgering some of them about imperfections in their speech to try to induce stuttering . According to the study, none became stutterers, but some became reluctant to speak or self-conscious about their speech. District Judge Thomas Horan heard arguments Thursday on whether the suit should be dismissed. He did not say when he would issue a ruling. Craig Kelinson, assistant attorney general, said the state cannot be held liable for something that happened in 1939. Even assuming the allegations are true, "at the time this matter arose you could not sue the state," said Kelinson. Attorneys for the plaintiffs say it's not a question of when the act occurred, but when the damage was discovered by the victims. "The party's right to sue begins when they find out about (the damage)," said Curt Krull, an attorney for the plaintiffs. Krull says it wasn't until 2001, when the study was made public in a series of stories in the San Jose Mercury News, that test subjects realized what had been done to them. The lawsuit claims the university and researchers withheld their findings, lied to the orphanage about the research and did nothing to reverse the damage that had been done to the children. The 1939 experiment was led by Dr. Wendell Johnson, a pioneer in the field of speech pathology. Johnson, who himself had stuttered as a child, dismissed prevailing theories that stuttering had genetic roots. Instead, he believed it was a learned behavior tied to external influences, such as parental criticism and pressure.

Wow -- I thought I have already seen strange news posted on Apolyton . . . . .

I have not heard of this issue until now. But to me, this case sounds ridiculous.


Oh -- does this count as the first thread ever, created by a non-Iowan native about news from Iowa?

	01-11-2003 10:08									#5
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I new a kid when I was young (from age 5 to 11) that stuttered profusely. He was a bit of a bully, and on reflection he did show signs of emotional problems. But I can't imagine his stuttering was from psychological issues, since he really did seem quite normal otherwise.

	01-11-2003 10:46									#6
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I suppose his psychological issues could have been from his stuttering.

	01-11-2003 11:24									#7
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A little quibble about the article: how can you possibly be a "former orphan"?

	01-11-2003 17:07									#9
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Well, when you become an adult and leave the orphanage, of course. After that you stop being an orphan - it's like being a "former bachelor" or "former teenager." Also, maybe some were adopted eventually?

Though I see your point - perhaps "ex-orphan" would've been clearer. Or not.