Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Oxford Dysfluency Conference 2008

The registration for the Oxford Dysfluency Conference in Oxford, England, is open. You can register here. I have attended the last conference, but I am not sure whether I will attend this summer's conference as I have to pay all the costs myself. I also missed the deadline to submit an abstract, and I always find it difficult not to talk!

The theme is interesting and noble: Integrating the Evidence: Scientist, Clinician and Client. But, have a look at the composition of the organising and review committee and you immediately notice that it's the old socks of the last years! A committee chaired by the main sponsor of the conference the Michael Palin Institute, dominated by the standard UK clique of therapists, by women (a blatant discrimination against men. no wonder men are hesitating to become therapists in the UK!!), and all therapists except Dave Rowley. And if they want to include science, how come that the only person who has a decent scientific background though not involved in ground-breaking science is Dave Rowley, the conference organiser. And if they want to include the clients, how come no-one from the self-help movement or the British Stammering Association, is part of it??? I am not saying that the reviewers are not good therapists. In fact I know most of them personally (though not sure how much longer maybe :-), but they should have added a few international and leading scientists and therapists. I have spoken to a few international leading researchers and they were all not very keen on the conference and dismissed it as too UK-focused, only therapy-focused, and more-like-a-big-feel-good-happening-of-old-friends than a serious conference.

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