Stuttering

According to ASHA, fluency refers to the flow of speech. A fluency disorder means that something is disrupting the rhythmic and forward flow of speech—usually, a stutter. As a result, the child’s speech contains an “abnormal number of repetitions, hesitations, prolongations, or disturbances. Tension may also be seen in the face, neck, shoulders, or fists.” Most of us pause or repeat a sound or word when we speak. When this happens a lot, the person may stutter. Young children may stutter for a little while. This is normal and will go away over time. Signs that stuttering might not stop include:

• Trouble saying sounds or words

• Repeating the first sounds of words, like "b-b-b-ball" for "ball"

• Pausing frequently while talking

• Stretching sounds out, like "fffffarm" for "farm"

You can help your child by

• Giving your child time to talk.

• Not interrupting or stopping your child while he speaks.

• Noticing if your child gets upset when stuttering. Pay attention to how she speaks. Children who stutter may close their eyes or move their face or body when talking.

Voice Disorders

Voice is the sound that’s produced when air from the lungs pushes through the voice box in the throat (also called the larnyx), making the vocal folds within vibrate. From there, the sound generated travels up through the spaces of the throat, nose, and mouth, and emerges as our “voice.” (ASHA website). A voice disorder involves problems with the pitch, loudness, resonance, or quality of the voice. The voice may be hoarse, raspy, or harsh. For some, it may sound quite nasal; others might seem as if they are “stuffed up.” People with voice problems often notice changes in pitch, loss of voice, loss of endurance, and sometimes a sharp or dull pain associated with voice use. Signs that your child may have a voice disorder include:

• Having a hoarse, scratchy, or breathy voice.

• Sounding nasal, or like he talks through his nose.

You can help your child by:

• Seeing a doctor if your child’s voice sounds different and it does not go away after a short time.

• Telling your child not to shout or scream.

• Keeping your child away from cigarette smoke.