commentr/StutterSeptember 14, 2021

Content

It's maybe a strange angle to speech therapy, but i have reduced my stuttering quite alot from trying to do all i can to reduce my sons stuttering with "indirect therapy". Basically changing how i (and my wife) talk, so that our son doesn't feel any time pressure when he talks. The basics are i talk a bit slower, with pauses between every 3-6 words, a slight pause before i responde to his comments, ideas etc. Breathing in when i pause. I try taking full breaths, in and out, while talking. Not stopping to breathe in or out when lungs are half full because of stuttering, tension or similar. I'm dumping hundreds of hours of reading up in a few sentences here, and guidance from SLPs. So fill in between the lines:) We found this video helpful to explain "easy talking": https://youtu.be/Owuq6hupFso My son has gone from severe to very mild in two months (might be coincidence/random or not). And i have i reduced my own stuttering 50 - 80% by changing how i talk. It's a 24/7 job, but i dont want my son to go through the same agony i did, and i didn't even get bullied. I believe the key is going all in, no matter the approach of the speech therapy. I've read about all the different stuttering programs (for children), they seem different on the surface but at the core it's the same principals. It's always 5-15 mins each day, which i believe is not enough. It's behavioural change we're talking about, 24/7. I'm not sure how i would approach this talking to adults, it's easier when talking to a 3 year old that doesn't judge if i talk weird as i'm trying to practice sounding natural when talking slower with pauses. But think Obama, slow and confident. I notice i talk slower and with pauses with other adults now, with less stuttering. All that being said, i'm super confident in my teams meatings now:)

Themes

Parent & CaregiverAnticipation & AvoidanceCoping & AdvocacyCauses & Variability

Subthemes

Home SupportAvoidance & SubstitutionFluency TechniquesEnergy & Biological Rhythms