If you’ve ever heard a person stuttering, you know that it can be embarrassing for the person who is trying to make a word or sentence but cannot. It is even more painful if that person is a child who may become frustrated and begin to cry because they are unable to articulate or enunciate a word or sentence.
Stuttering is a form of disorder that creates dysfunctions in the flow of a word or sentence. Stuttering can also result in the elongation of words or the tendency to hesitate with filler words such as “uhhhh” in the hopes that the stutter will not be noticeable.
Stuttering usually begins early in childhood and is not very difficult to detect but sometimes incorrectly diagnosed. If you suspect your child has a stuttering disorder, it is important to have him or her examined by a speech pathologist to make a professional diagnosis and subsequently offer speech recommendations.
The good news is that stuttering does not have to be an impediment to having a conversation. Stuttering can be controlled with practice and effort. However, in order to arrive at the necessary level of effort, children who stutter must receive therapy. Whether that therapy is professional or at home is a parent’s choice.
Many people are uncomfortable around those who stutter and make attempts to help them talk. This does not help and the child who stutters may become angry, frustrated, or even stop the conversation. So what is the best way to communicate with a child who stutters? The first thing is to be patient. Try to put yourself in the child’s shoes and imagine how they are feeling when stuttering begins. Next, don’t attempt to complete sentences, add or fill in words you think they are having trouble saying as these things are just frustrating. Finally, let them know you understand they stutter and ask if they want you to speak in a certain amount of time.
Stuttering can be the result of a family history of stuttering or the result of other speech issues. If there is no history of stuttering, it is possible that a child who stutters will learn to overcome their stuttering with lessons on how to pace word and speak clearly and slowly. Even if a child has been stuttering for a long time, it is possible that with therapy stuttering can be minimized.
Family members of a child who stutters should understand the nature of stuttering and what factors precipitate more stuttering and what factors decrease it. For the child who stutters, family members should understand that it is important not to ostracize, tease, mock or otherwise cause the stuttering child to be embarrassed. This can create a setback for the child or cause stuttering to worsen.
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