While stuttering is a common speech problem for many people, it is especially common for children at a young age. Oftentimes, many people may tell their child to “speak slowly” or “perhaps it’s from anxiety,” which doesn’t help their condition. If anything, it makes them more conscious of their speech disfluency, which makes it more difficult to improve.
There are many reasons why a child may have speech disfluency – and it is important to know that fear, anxiety, or shyness are not exactly the cause of it. Although a child’s stuttering may be common in settings that involve talking in front of their classmates or new people, emotions do not bring on stuttering.
In fact, many studies have shown that a number of mutations on different chromosomes correlate with stuttering. While these specific mutations can be hereditary, it is most common in males compared to females. Based on the many studies surrounding stuttering, 60% of those who stutter have a family history of it.
If you are wondering how to improve your child’s stuttering habits, continue reading to learn more.
Who is at High Risk of Developing a Stuttering Condition?
Stuttering is actually common for a lot of people, including children. According to many studies, a lot of children experience stuttering, especially during a time when they are learning a new language or learning new vocabulary in a quick period of time. Many children are able to outgrow stuttering on their own with time; however, there are also times when others may experience stuttering for a lifetime. Some high-risk factors of stuttering include:
- A family history of stuttering
- Persistent of stuttering for more than 12 months
- A child who begins stuttering around the age of 3.5 years of age has an increased risk of persistent stuttering
- The child is male (studies have shown that female children recover faster from stuttering; however, if the female child has been stuttering for over 12 months, then she is at risk for persistent stuttering)
Additionally, it is important to note that stuttering is a common problem for children on the autism spectrum. Some other conditions and disorders associated with stuttering include Tourette’s Syndrome, ADHD, cerebral palsy, hearing impairments, among other conditions.
How Do I Know If My Child is Stuttering?
There are many different signs that you will notice if your child is stuttering. Common signs and symptoms include the following:
- Difficulty starting words, sentences, or phrases
- Repetition of a word, sound, or syllable
- Missing syllables in their speech
- Prolonged pronunciations of parts of words or entire words
- Using “um” or “um” in the beginning of the next word frequently
In addition to these signs, you may also notice the following:
- Trembling or twitching of the lips or jaw
- Facial muscles tightening
- Clenching of the fists
- Abrupt or rapid blinking
- Head jerking
If you notice that your child is experiencing physical duress while trying to speak, then this may be a sign of a serious stuttering problem. It is possible that your child’s voice will change in its pitch while trying to speak if the issue is more serious as well. If this is the case, then it is imperative that you seek the help of an experienced speech therapist. At SGV Speech Therapy Solutions, we specialize in working closely with children to improve their stuttering problems. With years of experience and proven results, we are committed to helping your child overcome their stuttering. Feel free to contact our team to learn more about how we can help.
Tips to Practice With Your Child at Home
As a parent, we understand the importance of doing whatever it takes to help our children improve in all areas of their life, including their speech and language. If your child is experiencing stuttering, then it is important to seek professional help from a trusted speech therapist that specializes in improving stuttering problems for children. Beyond seeking professional help from a speech therapist, it is also important to practice these tips at home:
Encourage a slower rate of speech with pauses
It is important that not only your child, but you also speak at a slower rate with pauses. This will help serve as a guide for your child so he or she can adapt to a more fluent and smoother way of speaking. In addition, it helps that your child doesn’t feel rushed while speaking. Therefore, speaking at a slower rate with pauses will allow your child to understand that it is fine to take more time to respond and be more fluent in their speech. This way of speaking is also less rushed and will make your child feel more comfortable when speaking.
Adapt to syllable-timed speech
Adapting to a syllable-timed speech, otherwise known as STS is a great technique that can reduce your child’s stuttering effectively when practiced regularly every day. You should have daily conversations using syllable-timed speech. Here is an example:
Be-gin speaking to your ch-ild li-ke this.
Breaking up the syllables of the words can be extremely helpful and should be practiced for at least 10 minutes, 4-6 times throughout the day for 12 months. Studies have shown that children 6 years and under can reduce their stuttering by 96% when practiced regularly every day.
Decrease demands
For children who stutter, it can be very difficult for them to participate in conversations spontaneously. Therefore, it is best to try decreasing the demands surrounding their speech.
Asking your child too many questions at once can make them feel anxious or stressed, which can result in worsening their stuttering. Therefore, take the time to let them share their responses, emotions, and knowledge spontaneously. You can do this by allowing your child to take the lead on what they want to say, watch, or play.
Do not try to finish their sentences for them or make a guess as to what they’re about to say. Allow them to finish their own sentences.
Dedicate time to listening
Undoubtedly, children who experience stuttering have difficulty expressing themselves. Therefore, it is important to have a family member take the time to lend a listening ear so your child can support them in their speech. Let them take the lead on the discussion and just listen. This can make a significant difference in their speech over time and their attitude towards their speech in general.
