The first question that is usually asked of a Speech Pathologist when parents are dealing with emerging stuttering behaviour is…. “How should we respond and behave when it happens”?
It is disturbing for parents when a stuttering pattern has become evident in your child’s speech.
It is true to say that many children stutter between the ages of 2 and 4 years of age. This is a turbulent time of development for them with their language, linguistic, morphological (sound rules) and cognitive development is exploding. Many children will experience stuttering during these rapid phases of developments, only to emerge eventually with competent linguistic and fluency skills.
A core group however seem to pattern and adopt the dysfluent pattern into their speech behaviour.
Then it unfortunately becomes entrenched with increased self awareness, anxiety and in experiencing difficult communicative exchanges with peers or family members.
The following suggestions may assist you when responding to your child:
Do:
• Make contact with a Speech Pathologist if there is any concern about your child’s development or overall fluency. Certainly contact us if there are any hesitations, tensions, frustration, reduction in message or shutdown of communicative attempt.
• If stuttering is evident, please pay attention and listen closely to what your child is saying.
• Provide opportunities for your child to talk to you without any distractions or competition from other family members.
• Use a comfortable slow rate in your own speech and pause frequently. This provides a good model for your child and gives them time to process information and formulate thoughts and responses. Encourage all care givers to be aware and do the same.
• Give your child enough time to talk. Reduce any time pressures, such as giving them time to answer one question before asking them a second.
• Reduce any pressure to communicate. Limit the number of questions and try not to put them on the spot, so that they do not need to provide an immediate response.
• Be aware of situations that increase or decrease fluent behaviour and increase the times when your child seems to be more fluent.
• Be aware that dysfluency can increase when the higher, more complex levels of language are attempted, such as discussing an unfamiliar topic, when attempting to define words or concepts or describing the multiple sequences of a story or movie.
• Recognise that certain environmental factors may have a negative effect on fluency such as competition to speak, time pressures, excitement, passion of topic, arguing, new or unusual situations, perceived negative responses from the listener or unfamiliar listeners.
• If the stutter is significant, carefully repeat or rephrase what your child says to verify that you have understood it.
Don`t
• Don`t call attention or have any one else call attention to your child`s speech.
• Don`t ask your child to speak differently. Be careful not to use the terms “Relax”, “Slow Down”, “Think before you talk”, “Take a big breath”, “Take your time”, “Talk properly”.
• Don`t place your child in situations where demands will be placed on his/her speech or where he/she will be on display.
• Don`t call your child a stutterer
• Do not look distressed or worried when your child is dysfluent. Be very aware that facial expressions and grimacing carry strong meaning and easily convey anxiety.
• Don`t interrupt your child
• Don`t criticise your child`s speech
• Do not complete your child`s words or sentences.
Please remember that early intervention for assessment and treatment is effective and advised.
If you are concerned about your child`s speech fluency, I recommend that you seek an evaluation by an experienced Speech Pathologist.
Mr Craig Gorman
Speech Pathologist.