commentr/StutterNovember 8, 2021

Content

Hi, First, you seem to be doing the right things! Good for you, not all parents would have put in the effort. I found this video from stuttering therapy resources that desribes "easy talking", how parents can adjust how they talk around the child: https://youtu.be/Owuq6hupFso In general their website and YouTube channel is great, with good information. The point is to reduce time pressure in the communication environment. You're doing a lot already. You can also break up groups of words with a little pause and take a tiny break before responding. All to give the impression that there is no rush. Remember to do this around your child, not only when talking directly to him. Changing the environment around your child is called indirect treatment, and it's part of all the treatment programs that exist (that i know). Even direct treatment like the Lidcombe programme tells the parents to do this. Also boost his self esteem, at least once a day tell him how great it was that he put back his toys, runs fast or whatever. Confidence is important for someone who stutters. Spend 5 - 15 minute every day with calm one on one time, where you do what your child wants, follow his initiative. Playing with cars, dolls, whatever. But let it be an activity where you interact, not just reading from a book. Try to make this period as fluent as possible by putting extra effort into the things you mentioned, talk slower, let there be time for him to formulate a response etc. Don't be afraid to mention stuttering to your child. If he struggles hard and grown ups pretend it's not happening, how can a child interpret that? Shame is a big problem for stutterers, and trying to hide it is always the result, which causes anxiety and even more stuttering. It's ok to say something like: sometimes words get stuck, but you have so much interesting to say! Bring it out in the open without fixating on it. Not ten times a day, but maybe one or two? My son started stuttering very much almost overnight around 4 months ago. I also stutter myself so i recogniced the blocks, prolongations etc. We had just went on vacation to my inlaws cabin. The onset of stuttering is often seen in a period with a lot of change, vacations etc. We cancelled the rest of our plans this summer and went home. I too started reading everything i could find online, studies and general tips. There is no simple cure or programme that elliminates stuttering for every child, but there is no doubt that early childhood treatment works and is effective. Your child might stutter for life, but there is a big difference between a severe and mild stutter. And most likely (s)he will grow out of it. It's worth noting that most SLPs have little knowledge of stuttering, its not that common, and SLPs treat a wide variety og dissorders. Stuttering is a complicated subject, so finding someone that specialises in stuttering is recommended if possible. Trust me I feel your pain, it hurts me to watch my son struggle. We're doing everything we can.

Themes

Anticipation & AvoidanceSpeech & Stuttering

Subthemes

Avoidance & SubstitutionBlocks & StoppagesRepetitions & Prolongations