[Dysphagia] Swalowing workshop

[sem at new-vis.com (Suzanne Morris)]

Todd,

Your statement about the written word carrying more meaning than the  
spoken word is simply not true.   There has been an estimate that  
less than 7% of the meaning when we are communicating with another  
person is carried in the words (whether they are written or  
spoken).   More than 90% of the meaning is communicated through non- 
verbal communication (i.e. body and facial movements and  
suprasegmentals).  This is why evaluating and working on these  
elements with someone who has a communication disorder is absolutely  
critical if their total message is to be understood.  There are many  
therapists who work only on words and articulation with clients who  
have neurological disorders, leaving them with a markedly reduced  
intelligibility.  When therapy includes work on non-verbal elements  
and suprasegmentals such as duration, stress, loudness and  
intonation, communication intelligibility increases sharply.  The  
only time I can think of where written communication would be more  
accurate is when a person's speech production skills are very limited  
or distorted causing the listener difficulty in understanding  
speech.  This clearily is not what you are talking about in your  
recent email to this listserv.   Redundancy is important, as you  
point out, but not when that redundancy is in the same communication  
channel (words and word sequences) and the interpretative meaning of  
these words from the reader.

Suzanne
__________________________________
Suzanne Evans Morris, Ph.D.
Speech-Language Pathologist
New Visions
1124 Roberts Mountain Rd.
Faber, VA 22938
(434) 361-2285 ext. 5
www.new-vis.com


On Mar 5, 2007, at 4:33 PM, Todd R. Fix wrote:

>  ...and as there is redundancy in communication, there can be no  
> overlooking
> it ("reading between the lines), either.  It has been said that the  
> written
> word carries much more meaning than any word ever spoken.
>
>
> Todd R. Fix MA CCC/SLP
> 297 Woodgreen Lane
> Winter Springs, FL 32708
>
> (407) 312-0213
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dysphagia-bounces at b9.com [mailto:dysphagia-bounces at b9.com] On  
> Behalf
> Of Suzanne Morris
> Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 4:25 PM
> To: dysphagia at b9.com
> Subject: Re: [Dysphagia] Swalowing workshop
>
> Todd,
>
> I am deeply concerned when anyone on a listserv suggests that they are
> making assumptions based upon "reading between the lines" of  
> someone else's
> email.  We all know the inherent risks that occur in written  
> correspondence
> where we have no feedback from body language,
> tone of voice etc.   It is well know that people are more likely to
> give meaning or insert impressions based on their own beliefs and  
> issues
> rather than what the other person is actually saying.  This is one  
> of the
> big challenges of e-mail communication and "reading between the  
> lines" is a
> sure-fire prescription for misinterpretation and antagonism.
>
> Suzanne
>
> __________________________________
> Suzanne Evans Morris, Ph.D.
> Speech-Language Pathologist
> New Visions
> 1124 Roberts Mountain Rd.
> Faber, VA 22938
> (434) 361-2285 ext. 5
> www.new-vis.com
>
> On Mar 5, 2007, at 10:47 AM, Todd R. Fix wrote:
> Staci,
>
> For any of us who have read the posts here over the past years, it  
> seems
> apparent that this "original comment" was not out of character.  I am
> convinced that there is a self-serving motivation which leads to  
> the obvious
> behaviors exhibited.  Honestly, it saddens me.  Unlike ASHA's  
> division 13
> listserve, this service seems blatantly pointed at certain  
> individual's
> personal character.  If you read between the lines, the  
> extrapolation of
> original intent is obvious. It is wise to uplift and promote...to do
> otherwise is selfish and destructive.  Peace and self-growth are  
> paramount.
>
> Todd R. Fix MA CCC/SLP
> 297 Woodgreen Lane
> Winter Springs, FL 32708
>
> (407) 312-0213
>
>