Suggestions for Parents at Home

• Reduce speech rate by modeling: Speak at a calm, deliberate pace yourself rather than telling the child to "slow down" or "take a deep breath" (which often increases self-consciousness).

• Maintain normal eye contact: Look directly at your child with a relaxed expression while they speak, showing that you are paying attention to what they are saying rather than how they are saying it.

• Avoid finishing sentences: Allow them to complete their thoughts independently, even during long pauses or disfluencies.

• Establish dedicated one-on-one time: Set aside 5–10 minutes daily for calm, focused conversation without competing background noise or distractions from siblings or screens.

• Pause before answering: Wait 1–2 seconds after your child finishes speaking before you respond, which naturally slows down the overall conversational tempo.