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Children Who Stutter Are In-Born?

3rd December, 2009 - Posted by health news - No Comments

The best stuttering treatment work being done is early intervention for young children who stutter. “The sooner a child receives treatment the shorter the treatment time and the greater the likelihood for lasting gains in fluency,” explains Catherine S. Montgomery of the American Institute for Stuttering. “It is cost effective, in both financial and emotional terms. A lifetime of potential shame and debilitation can be prevented.” There are a number of resources designed for children as young as pre-k. Even though there is a good chance youngsters will naturally overcome a problem stutter, there are resources that will ensure the child feels excited, rather than frustrated, about learning.

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.

A great way to address children who stutter is to buy instructional booklets and coloring sheets that will help alleviate any anxiety or negative emotions that inevitably show up during speech lessons. There are several books available online, such as Sometimes I Just Stutter (www.stuttersfa.org/sijs/sijs.htm), Jeremy and the Hippo (www.mnsu.edu/comdis/ISAD3/papers/jeremybook/jeremy1.html), Boo Goodnight to Halloween (www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/kids/boo/index.html), Angel Loves to Talk (www.interactivedesigns.org/nsa-caz/angel.pdf), More Friends for Jackson (www.interactivedesigns.org/nsa-caz/jackson.pdf), Funny Bunny’s Better Idea (www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/TherapyWWW/funnybunny.pdf) and Our First Talk about Talking (www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/TherapyWWW/ourfirsttalk.pdf). Speech problems often go away on their own if the child can maintain a normal level of self-confidence and simply work through difficult words or syllables.

Children who stutter may feel “stupid” going to speech/stuttering therapy, which is why the role of the parent is so vital to the child’s reading abilities. Parents can participate in their local Stuttering Foundation community group. Otherwise, they should speak slowly and deliberately, while always asking the child how his or her day went and positively encouraging communication. There is still so much to learn about the direct causes and cures of this disorder, so it would make sense to join a related association for their informative newsletters on recent breakthroughs.

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