Encouragement For Stuttering Child

One morning, a three-year-old boy named Adam turned to his mother and said, “M-m-m-mommy, can I, can I, can I have ssssome milk?” His mother said she didn’t feel alarmed since he had never spoken like that before, so she just passed the milk and waited for him to stop his “childhood stuttering phase.” Five years later, Adam was still stuttering with even shorter breaks and more problems as time went on. Adam complains that it makes him angry sometimes. “Kids tease me. They call me A-a-a-a-dam. My stuttering is like a ferocious animal that no one understands and it’s all my fault,” he explains. Adam’s mother advises parents of a stuttering child to seek qualified help as soon as the problem starts. After witnessing her son’s pain, she now knows it’s always “better to be safe than sorry.”

When dealing with a stuttering child, it is important for parents to be patient and speak slowly to passively encourage the child to do the same. Parents can use shorter sentences and easier words when talking to younger children. Asking one question at a time can eliminate additional stress or frustration the child may face. Parents should encourage a family environment where everyone takes turns speaking and listening. Siblings, neighborhood kids or classmates who tease kids for speech problems must be reprimanded and taught that this sort of behavior is unacceptable. Most of all, parents must always love and respect their child and ensure that he or she does not feel they are to blame.

There are also some things that parents should not do with a child who stutters. A common mistake is to finish the sentence for the child, which will make him feel inferior and confused. Forcing children to speak or recite something in front of visitors is also a huge embarrassment. Cruel comments like “stop stuttering” or “say it again without stuttering” will only demean the child and prohibit any sort of recovery. Even nicer prompts like “think about what you want to say before you say it” or “focus and try again” — can be troublesome and frustrating. Parents must not convey disappointment in the child’s efforts; only encouragement. The schoolyard can be a cold and lonely place for kids who are perceived as being different. Be aware of the school situation and try to ensure that no one is teasing your child about his stuttering problem.

Knowing the “dos” and “donts” of coping with a stuttering child can be extremely beneficial. Speech therapy is important for middle-school-aged children, but so is positive reinforcement at home. The best approach is to treat the child as though he or she is normal and just encountering a temporary road block. It’s important for the child to understand that speech problems can be overcome with time and persistence. There are a number of local community resources for parents to choose from, which can help them to communicate more naturally and aid in their child’s recovery.

Rene Lacape is a well trained insurance broker. He has been handling many kinds of insurances for the past many years. He still does well in his chosen field and is sure to help more people who will need his expert advice. Contact him now.