What To Know About Child Stutters

By Enid Hinton


Stuttering, also referred to as stammering, is a problem that many people have, including children. This is the terminology used to describe a speech disorder that causes the flow of speech to be disrupted by repetition, as well as prolongations of words, phrases, syllables or sounds. There might also be blocks or pauses where the stutterer is unable to produce any sound. If a child stutters, his or her parent or guardian are urged to consider the many options available for treating or managing this problem.

Certain things can be signifiers of this problem. Typically they are observable, even by the untrained. Common signs include repetition, prolongation of sounds and silence blocks. These are not frequent problems for people without a stammering disorder. Severity of stutters will range by individuals and even people who have this problem might notice some inconsistency in the problem.

Stuttering could have a negative impact on an individual, especially a child. Young kids are often teased because of this. Feelings of shame, fear, frustration, guilt, anger and embarrassment might be frequent for stutterers. This could lead to negative self-image and lack of social interaction.

There is no one cause associated with this type of stuttering. Still, there are plenty of theories and hypotheses that consider the contributions to this disorder. There is evidence that supports the theory that it is tied to genetics. However, there is a large group of people who stammer and yet have no family history of it. All situations are different.

Prior to any treatment being offered, a person needs to be assessed to determine his or her condition. Some stuttered speech is not as easy to detect so diagnosing requires the skills of professional speech-language pathologists who are certified and knowledgeable. There is no absolute cure, but several options can help people gain control of their speech.

Most of the solutions are focused on learning new techniques that help reduce stammering. This might include changes in breathing habits, speed reduction, and gradual progression of communication from single syllables up to long words and eventually to complex sentences. Therapies might also focus on lowering anxiety that is often caused by stammering and is also known to make the problem worse.

Speech language pathologists are great professional resources for support. They can help teach clients who stutter how to monitor and control the rate in which they talk. Those who learn to speak words slower and with less physical tension may be able to improve upon their stammering issue. They might also be taught new ways of breathing, including how to monitor and control it. Other potential treatment options for this condition: fluency shaping or modification therapies, medications, electronic fluency device, support, and diaphragmatic breathing.

Every person is different and so the approach taken in these cases may range. It might take some time before any results are noticed. People should remain optimistic and continue on with the instructions related to the treatment. Those without any control over their stammering may face numerous obstacles throughout life because of it. For this reason, adults are highly encouraged to promptly seek proper diagnosis and treatment options for children with this issue.




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