Little girl (10) that stutters has a public speaking - looking for tips&tricks how to deal with the stress and stuttering that may come in the moment of showtime
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Little girl (10) that stutters has a public speaking - looking for tips&tricks how to deal with the stress and stuttering that may come in the moment of showtime Hello everyone! I am a psychologist-intern currently working with a pre-teen girl in primary school, who happens to stutter. This is also the reason why I'm posting here - I would very much appreciate to get some inside info from people who have long time experience with stuttering, so that I can help the little girl in question. In a week and a half little girl is having her first communion. The ceremony requires all children to recite some text that they will learn by heart. The girl is more than interested in participating and has started learning her part a week ago (recites in front of her parents for practice), but it is also causing her a lot of distress. She's became quiet in class in the last couple of weeks (I was informed so by her teacher) and has verbalized she is afraid of reciting, specifically, afraid everyone's gonna look at her and mock her if she starts stuttering or gets confused and recites something wrong. There is a history of mocking and verbal bullying by her peers involved with her stuttering, which is probably experience she is basing her fears on. Her older sister also stutters, but has received proper treatment and has taken it down to a minimum. She often shares the techniques she learned in treatment with younger sister, the girl in question. Little girl embraced some key words and sentences that, she claims, help her calm down when in stressful situation. In a conversation with her, I noticed she stutters almost undetectably when in a comfortable and familiar environment and she herself says she always has more problems when in a new environment or surounded by strangers, especially if she's the center of attention. Since I'm an intern of 3mo, I didn't have many tricks up my sleeve - I used some basic stuff any friend would use for encouragement in a given situation (on a pre-teen level, ofc), but am no expert myself, and yet I would like to help the girl a bit more. Given all of this, my questions for people here who deal with stuttering are next. Keep in mind it is a 10y/o in question. If in stressful situation, such as reciting at first communion in front of the full church, how would you calm yourself? Which technique would you use? Also, when in a situation where her peers are mocking her, is there maybe better way for her to deal with it, rather than communicate her feelings with the bully and asking him/her to stop? Any advice regarding any stressful situation that could trigger her stuttering is more than welcome. Thank you all upfront and I wish you all a good day :)