Stammering

Stammering – also known as stuttering or childhood-onset fluency disorder- is a speech disorder that involves frequent and significant problems with normal fluency and flow of speech. People who stutter know what they want to say, but have difficulty in saying it. Stuttering is common among young children as a normal part of learning to speak. Young children may stutter when their speech and language abilities aren’t developed enough to keep up with what they want to say. Most children outgrow this developmental stuttering.
Sometimes, however, shuttering is a chronic condition that persists into adulthood. This type of stuttering can have an impact on self-esteem and interactions with other people.
Stuttering may be worse when the person is excited, tired or under stress, or when feeling self- conscious, hurried or pressured. Situations such as speaking in front of a group or talking on the phone can be particularly difficult for people who stutter.

When to see a doctor or speech- language pathologists

Its common for children between the ages of 2 and 5 years to go through periods when they may stutter. For most children, this is part of learning to speak, and it gets better on its own. However, stuttering that persists may require treatment to improve speech fluency.

Call your doctor for a referral or contact a speech-language pathologist directly for an appointment if stuttering:

1. Lasts more than six months
2. Occurs with other speech or language problems
3. Becomes more frequent or continues as the child grows older
4. Occurs with muscle tightening or visibly struggling to speak
5. Affects the ability to effectively communicate at school, at work or in social interactions
6. Causes anxiety or emotional problems, such as fear or avoidance of situations where speaking is required
7. Begins as an adult

How can you help your child if he/she stutters:

1. Providing a relaxed home environment that allows many opportunities for your child to speak. This includes making time to talk to each another, especially when your child is excited and has a lot to say
2. Not reacting negatively when the child stammers. Give any corrections in a gentle way and give praise when your child speaks without a stammer
3. Speaking in a slightly slow and relaxed way
4. Listening carefully when your child speaks and waiting for them to say the intended word. Don’t try to complete the sentences for them
5. Helping your child to be confident that they can communicate successfully even when they stammer
6. Providing consistent feedback to your child about their speech in a friendly, non-judgmental and supportive way
7. Talking openly about stammering if your child wants to talk about it

Treatments

Speech and Language Therapy

Fluency Shaping Therapy

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Parent-child interaction