Child stuttering is a perplexing disorder because so little is known about its origins or why it sometimes goes away on its own, while other cases involve more in-depth speech/stuttering therapy. As a result, parents often have many misconceptions when it comes to their children. Some parents feel they can help their child stop stuttering by prompting them to “speak clearly,” “focus,” “think before you speak” or “slow down.” However, these responses may make kids feel more nervous and self-conscious, therefore worsening the situation. These parents also believe that the child has control over his or her stuttering problem, and that it can be remedied if the child would only try! In reality, ending a stuttering disfluency can be quite laborious for a child who feels powerless and embarrassed.
Stammering stuttering is a common type of disfluency that most kids have at some point while growing up and learning their words. Some stuttering in childhood is in the form of stop-and-go speak patterns or periods of quick speech followed by breathlessness. Their little brains seem to be working much faster than their mouths, causing a hodge-podge of verbiage to come spilling out. Some children may begin to stutter in nerve-wracking situations, such as before auditioning for a play, when asking someone on a date or if caught in a lie. Other times, a person who stutters may interject too many “ums,” “likes” or “uhs.” Usually, the stuttering speech disorder clears up or only emerges on rare occasion. However, a child who stutters for more than a few months may be in need of greater attention.
Normal developmental stuttering is common for about 90% of children, but true stuttering only occurs in about 1% of all cases. Parents can identify true child stuttering if they hear their child repeating words/sounds/syllables, uttering hard-to-discern sentences, talking slowly with a number of pauses, speaking at an uneven rate, stuttering excessively when tired or stressed, or avoiding speech entirely in reaction to a stutter. If the child does not show marked improvement within 1 to 2 months, then parents should intervene with some sort of speech therapy.
One of the most successful child stuttering programs for early interventions is the Lidcombe program, which boasts a 77% reduction in stuttering frequency for kids ages 3 to 6. After conducting randomized trials at the University of Sydney, Australia, Dr. Mark Onslow Ph.D. reported, “The reduction of stuttering in the Lidcombe program group was significantly and clinically greater than natural recovery.” His program emphasizes parental feedback in the household, with parents encouraged to sit down and share a meal or play a game together. Parents are given special 10 to 15 minute speech exercises to practice with their afflicted child, helping to instill self-assurance and create an atmosphere of comfort. Researchers warn that delaying stuttering treatment will naturally result in damaged self esteem, social apprehension and other cognitive consequences.
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