As human beings, communication is at the core of every being. So naturally, speech difficulties really hit home for children who stutter. Their inability to express themselves efficiently leads to frustration, anxiety and insecurity. According to the American Institute for Stuttering, it’s believed that a stuttering problem is a combination of genetic and physical factors, combined with emotional ties. “What confuses so many people about stuttering is that, unlike blindness, it doesn’t happen all of the time,” explains AIS director Catherine S. Montgomery. “And it appears to happen more when someone is nervous or anxious, so therefore most assume it is caused by emotions of some sort. While emotions can influence stuttering … psychological factors are not the cause.”
Parent reaction is particularly important in encouraging a child who stutters to speak more fluently. Sometimes it’s a knee-jerk reaction to correct people who stutter by interjecting the attempted word as it should be said. Other times, parents aren’t sure what to say and authoritatively command their kids to “think before speaking,” “focus and try again” or “slow down.” Unfortunately, these sentiments of disappointment or alarm can undermine a child’s self-confidence and create a flood of negative emotions that accompany the act of communication. In most cases, stuttering and anxiety go hand-in-hand. While younger children may be able to shrug it off, elementary school kids, teenagers and adults develop aversions and deep-seated insecurities associated with language that makes treatment more challenging. Therefore, it’s important that parents meet with local community support groups to learn more about childhood stuttering.
One place to find resources focusing on children who stutter is the Stuttering Foundation of America website at www.stutteringhelp.org. They sell book titles like Stuttering and Your Child: Help for Parents, Stuttering: Basic Clinical Skills, If Your Child Stutters: a Guide, Working With Pre-schoolers Who Stutter: Successful Intervention Strategies, Stuttering: For Kids By Kids, Sometimes I Just Stutter (ages 7+) and Trouble At Recess (ages 4+). Additionally, there are also DVDs for sale that accompany many of their top-selling books. These inexpensive resources can help families of kids with speech disorders understand the condition better.
Over at www.superduperinc.com/search/topicSearch.aspx?id=24, parents can find a number of resources aimed at children who stutter. For instance, there is an “Elephone” reading and listening device, a “Fluency River” board game, the “Story Starters” game and the “Holiday/Seasonal Chipper Chat.” Researchers say the best way for children to overcome their speech difficulties is by repetition and desensitization. If they feel that their speech problems are a natural part of learning that can be sorted out with practice, then they are more likely to succeed.
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