For more resources regarding Stuttering consider visiting the following:
Stuttering Foundation of America https://www.stutteringhelp.org/
National Stuttering Association
Embedded Files
Resources
Tips for Parents of School-Age Children
Tips for Parents of School-Age Children
You must be aware of your child’s worry and discomfort. Your child will try not to stutter. But the harder he tries, the worse the stuttering is apt to get.
You probably make remarks about your child’s stuttering from time to time. It is understandable for you to want to help. Perhaps you don’t find it easy to listen to the stuttering and would like it to stop. When you say or do something to help your child, you should observe carefully. If your help results in his becoming more relaxed and calm, you will be doing the right thing. His talking will get easier, too.
It is quite possible your child does not want to be helped when talking. Then it is no use trying to do so. He or she will only get more tense. (Maybe because he gets the message that he is not allowed to be imperfect?) The more the child tenses up, the harder it will be for the words to come through. Better than any stranger, parents know whether their child is tense or relaxed. That is why we ask for your help. Because you know your child best and can gauge his or her feelings, you give the most valuable support of all.
It is important to state that parents’ behavior never is the cause of stuttering. Your child was probably born with a hereditary tendency to stutter. This means the area of speech is a weak point in his general make up. Stuttering manifests itself when demands (in whatever area of life) become too heavy. This stuttering is harmless in itself. But if your child thinks others do not like his stuttering, he will try to talk “better” and to hide or stop the stuttering. That makes the stuttering worse, and it is the reason he still suffers because of it.
So remember you are not the cause of your child’s stuttering, but you are the nearest and best supporters on his road to talking more easily.Your child may feel angry as well as hurt and discouraged because of his speech problem. What he needs most are parents who allow him to be resentful or sad about it and who show they understand.
Perhaps your child does not yet have the courage to discuss it with you. But he or she does need to feel your tacit permission to do so. From time to time you may offhandedly ask what he thinks or feels about his stuttering. Make sure the child feels free not to take up the subject if he is not ready to do so. You may be very worried about your child’s future. Share your worries with each other and also with a speech therapist.
It is important for you, as well as for your child, not to go on worrying. So try to find competent help soon.
Stuttering manifests itself in so many different shapes and sizes that I can give no more than this general advice. Possibly your child is seldom or never tense, and you may find little of what I have said applicable. But if you feel worried and anxious just the same, do not hesitate to seek help.
Some general guidance to assist your child who stutters:
Some general guidance to assist your child who stutters:
1. Reduce the pace. Speak with your child in an unhurried way, pausing frequently. Wait a few seconds after your child finishes before you begin to speak. Your own easy relaxed speech will be far more effective than any advice such as “slow down” or “try it again slowly. For some children, it is also helpful to introduce a more relaxed pace of life for awhile.
2. Full listening. Try to increase those times that you give your child your undivided attention and are really listening. This does not mean dropping everything every time your child speaks.
3. Asking questions. Asking questions is a normal part of life – but try to resist asking one after the other. Sometimes it is more helpful to comment on what your child has said and wait.
4. Turn taking. Help all members of the family take turns talking and listening. Children find it much easier to talk when there are fewer interruptions.
5. Building confidence. Use descriptive praise to build confidence. An example would be “I like the way you picked up your toys. You’re so helpful,” instead of “that’s great.” Praise strengths unrelated to talking as well such as athletic skills, being organized, independent, or careful.
6. Special times. Set aside a few minutes at a regular time each day when you can give your undivided attention to your child. This quiet calm time – no TV, iPad or phones - can be a confidence builder for young children. As little as five minutes a day can make a difference.
7. Normal rules apply. Discipline the child who stutters just as you do your other children and just as you would if he didn’t stutter.
Tips for teachers:
Tips for teachers:
1. Don’t tell the student “slow down” or “ just relax.”
2. Don’t complete words for the student or talk for him or her.
3. Help all members of the class learn to take turns talking and listening. All students — and especially those who stutter — find it much easier to talk when there are few interruptions and they have the listener’s attention.
4. Expect the same quality and quantity of work from the student who stutters as the one who doesn’t.
5. Speak with the student in an unhurried way, pausing frequently.
6. Convey that you are listening to the content of the message, not how it is said.
7. Have a one-on-one conversation with the student who stutters about needed accommodations in the classroom. Respect the student’s needs, but do not be enabling.
8. Don’t make stuttering something to be ashamed of. Talk about stuttering just like any other matter.
Compiled by Lisa Scott, Ph.D., The Florida State University
For more tips, refer to:
Stuttering: Straight Talk for Teachers, from the Stuttering Foundation
https://www.stutteringhelp.org/sites/default/files/Migrate/teacher_book_2010.pdf
Myths about Stuttering
Myths about Stuttering
Myth: People who stutter are not smart.
Reality: There is no link whatsoever between stuttering and intelligence.
Myth: Nervousness causes stuttering.
Reality: Nervousness does not cause stuttering. Nor should we assume that people who stutter are prone to be nervous, fearful, anxious, or shy. They have the same full range of personality traits as those who do not stutter.
Myth: Stuttering can be “caught” through imitation or by hearing another person stutter.
Reality: You can’t “catch” stuttering. No one knows the exact causes of stuttering, but recent research indicates that family history (genetics), neuromuscular development, and the child’s environment, including family dynamics, all play a role in the onset of stuttering.
Myth: It helps to tell a person to “take a deep breath before talking,” or “think about what you want to say first.”
Reality: This advice only makes a person more self-conscious, making the stuttering worse. More helpful responses include listening patiently and modeling slow and clear speech yourself.
Myth: Stress causes stuttering.
Reality: As mentioned above, many complex factors are involved. Stress is not the cause, but it certainly can aggravate stuttering.
Stuttering Strategies
20200311150451193.pdf20200313131848584.pdfStuttering: For Kids, By Kids https://www.stutteringhelp.org/content/stuttering-kids-kids
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