My Child Stutters/Stammers – Why, What To Do, And How

What is stuttering or stammering?

Stuttering or stammering, is the disruption of the flow when someone is speaking. These disruptions can be:

1. sound, syllable, or word repetitions (e.g., d-d-d-dog, I have a dog-dog-dog)
2. sounds are stretched out (e.g., I go to sssssschool, turn on the fffffffan)
3. blocks (i.e., a person’s speech suddenly stops and sounds like it’s blocked, unable to make any sounds)

People who stutter can also show non-speech behaviours, such as:

• avoiding certain sounds or words
• withdrawal from conversations
• body tension and facial grimacing

Why is my child stuttering all of a sudden?

Stuttering usually occurs during early childhood, between the age of 2.5 and 4 years. There is still no consensus about the main cause of stuttering. What we know is that stuttering may have a genetic cause, as approximately 70% of stuttering runs in families. Stuttering also arises when children are developing rapidly in all areas, and it is rarely caused by the environment or a single event (e.g., trauma, accidents, changes).

It is understandable that some families may have certain feelings about their child’s stutter. For example, some families may feel frustrated because they do not know why their child suddenly started stuttering. Some families may feel anxious about whether their child can “recover” and “have a normal life when they grow up”. And some families may feel helpless because they do not know what to do to help their child who stutters.

A qualified speech-language pathologist (SLP) will be able to help these families by listening to their concerns, evaluating the child’s stutter, providing treatment, and educating families about stuttering. The more that families know about stuttering, the more empowered and in control they feel. This usually leads to better outcomes and family dynamics.

Will my child recover without speech therapy?

Research and its statistics show that approximately 75% of the children who stutter will recover naturally without any intervention. So almost 3 out of 4 preschool children will stutter for a period and then stop. HOWEVER, it is impossible to predict whether your child who stutters will recover naturally.

Some children may be at risk for ongoing stuttering depending on other factors such as family history of stuttering, the child’s temperament, and the child’s motor and language skills. Therefore, it’s essential to see a qualified SLP for an initial evaluation of your child’s stuttering and decide whether intervention is required.

When should I bring my child in for an evaluation?

1. When your child is aware of stuttering
2. When you or other family members are worried about the stuttering
3. When the stuttering has been going on for at least 2-3 months
4. When there is family history of stuttering

Even though some children may recover naturally, an SLP can help speed up the process through treatment and education. Also, if there is a family history of stuttering, it is important to get the child evaluated as soon as possible to optimise the outcomes.

During the evaluation process, SLPs will first build rapport with your child and make your child at ease. Then they will do a comprehensive assessment to evaluate your child’s speech sound, language, and fluency/stuttering using a variety of assessment tools. Parents are encouraged to ask questions and SLPs will provide information and education about stuttering to families. At the end of the evaluation, SLPs may advise the family about the upcoming therapy process and the approach that will be used.

What can parents do at home to help children or teenagers who stutter?

An SLP will be able to recommend strategies that parents can implement at home. The main goal of these strategies is to provide the child who stutters a supportive environment that facilitates and encourages fluent speech. Sometimes these strategies can be as important as the direct treatment that SLPs do on the child’s stutter.

Here’s a few things that families can try at home to help their child with stuttering.

1. Allow extra time for your child to talk and try not to interrupt or finish their sentences
2. Limit the number of people who talk while your child is talking
3. Allow your child to have free time or quiet time where there is no expectation for talking
4. Speak to your child to find out what factors make communication more difficult, and identify solutions to minimise those factors

Remember, stuttering is not caused by one single factor. The reason why families implement these home strategies is to find out and minimise any stressful factors that may contribute to your child’s stuttering, and improve the fluency of speech.

How to reduce the time pressure when your child is talking

• Avoid talking in a fast rate
• Pause every now and then between sentences
• Allow only one person to talk at a time
• Limit the number of questions you ask your child to reduce the demand
• Keep it natural. The new ‘slow’ way of talking does not have to be 24/7

Teenagers who stutter may sometimes need support that goes beyond the stuttering part – e.g., anxiety, fear, low self-esteem. What parents can do is to help their child to understand what happened and respond to their child’s stuttering in a natural and supportive way. For example, parents can occasionally acknowledge their child’s stutter by saying “Thanks for telling me about this. I’m glad that you keep trying even though it is difficult.”.

The main goal here is to let your child know that their stutter is as natural as other behaviours or mistakes in their lives, and it is okay that words come out bumpy once in a while. Parents are suggested to use other life examples to explain stuttering, such as learning how to ride a bike, swimming, or anything that involves making mistakes.

Reaching out to support groups such as SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young – Australia can help teenagers or young people who stutter to connect with others who share similar experiences and support each other through online meeting and other events.

Finally, with proper treatment techniques and strategies, children may start learning how to manage their stuttering and develop a positive attitude towards stuttering. It takes time and effort to achieve fluent speech – remember to support your child and acknowledge their feelings about stuttering.

References

de Sonneville-Koedoot, C., Stolk, E., Rietveld, T., & Franken, M. C. (2015). Direct versus Indirect Treatment for Preschool Children who Stutter: The RESTART Randomized Trial. PloS one, 10(7), e0133758. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0133758

Yaruss, J. S., Coleman, C., & Hammer, D. (2006). Treating preschool children who stutter: description and preliminary evaluation of a family-focused treatment approach. Language, speech, and hearing services in schools, 37(2), 118–136. https://doi.org/10.1044/0161-1461(2006/014)

What else would you like to know?

Please comment below or email us on info@talk2connect.com.au.

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Bilingual Families: How To Teach 2 or More Languages

English Accent: 5 Tips for Improving Your Communication skills