Understanding Stuttering on Children

8/14/2019 Understanding Stuttering on Children

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Click here to learn the easiest & fastest wayto stop your stuttering


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Chapter 1: What is Stuttering

Chapter 2: The Emotional Effects of Stuttering On Children

Chapter 3: How Parents Can Help Stop Stuttering

Chapter 4: When Should Your Stuttering Child See a Specialist

Chapter 5: Is There A Miracle Cure For Stuttering Among Kids?


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What is Stuttering

Stuttering is aspeech disorderwhere theindividual's naturalflow of speech isdisrupted byfrequent repetitionsor prolongations ofcertain sounds,syllables andwords. Sometimes,this makes it

impossible to evenstart a word.

Aside from difficulty in speaking, this is usually accompanied by raid eyeblinks, tremors of the lips or jaw and in the upper body. Stress makes thesituation even worse when he or she has to speak to a large crowd or talkon the phone. However, this changes when one is singing or speakingalone.

This disorder is also known as stammering. It should be pointed out thatthis is different from two other speech disorders namely cluttering andspasmodic dysphonia.

Studies show that there are 3 million Americans that stutter. This starts atthe age of 2 to 6 since this is the time that they are still developinglanguage. This ratio between boys and girls is 3 to 1. The good news is thatmany children outgrow this and only a small percentage of those who sufferare adults.

To prove a point, some of the best speakers in the world that had stutteringin their early childhood include Bruce Willis, Carly Simon, James EarlJones and Mel Tillis. You may not believe it but these people overcame thischallenge.


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But what causes people to stutter? There are many forms and somescientists believe that this is genetic because it is developmental. Othersargue that this is neurogenic which means that signal problems betweenthe brain and the nerves causes this to happen.

As a result, the brain is not able to coordinate properly the differentcomponents of speech. This can also happen if the person suffered from astroke or other form of brain injury.

Stuttering may also originate in the mind or what is known as psychogenicbut this only accounts for a small number of sufferers.

The best person to diagnose if you are stuttering is with the help of aspeech language pathologist even if it is quite obvious by how you speak.

This person is trained to conduct a variety of tests so it will be easy toprescribe proper treatment.

But at present, there is no available cure for stuttering. Treatment can onlyimprove the person's condition given that the majority of those who stutterare "behavioral."

The program is designed to teach the patient to monitor the rate at whichthey speak. They will also learn to say words slower usually short phrasesfirst until such time that they can speak much faster and longer sentences.Follow up sessions are needed to prevent relapse making this a life longproblem.

Aside from the patient, the parents should also be educated so they knowwhat to do when you stutter. It is best that they provide a relaxed homeenvironment that allows the child to speak. If the child should stutter, theyshould refrain from criticizing as this has negative effects. Parents can alsohelp by speaking slowly and in a relaxed manner as this will also befollowed.

Some doctors have utilized medications and electronic devices to treatstuttering. Unfortunately, the use of drugs often causes side effects andrelying on a machine makes it hard to carry around especially when thereare other people around.


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The Emotional Effects of Stuttering On Children

Many people don't realize it but stuttering greatly affects the emotional stateof a person, especially that of a child. The emotional effects of stuttering onchildren alone are very much devastating on his or her emotional health.Not only that, stuttering unfavorably affects not just a child's social skills buthis or her communication skills as well.

Because of stuttering, many kids think that making friends and buildingrelationships become very disappointing and sometimes traumatizing.Having to live through stuttering at this stage in a person's life is veryawkward and painful.

Friends also don't come easy for children with stutters according toresearch kids with a stutter often have to cope up with bullying from peersand classmates.

Studies say that 40 percent of school-aged kids who suffer from stutteringreveal that they been a victim of teasing, bullying, name-calling and worstof all, experienced physical harassment because of their condition.

They confess that just because they don't speak too well, other kids simplydon't respect them and don't listen when they try to say something. The

tendency of thisinability to expressone's self is forstuttering kids to beintroverts, alwaysveering away from

crowds who mightjudge and teasethem.

Majority of schooladministrators also


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agrees that children that stutter are bullied 82 percent of the time inside theclassroom, within the school vicinity, and even outside the school premises.This is because many kids without speech problems try to make fun ofthem especially when there's no adult nearby.

Kids get their self-confidence and esteem from the people around them,people like their families, authority figures or people outside their family unitthat they look up to and of course their localized peer group. As childrenbecome more mature, the influence that their friends have on them steadilyincreases and the need to be part of a bigger stratum in society becomesmore prevalent.

Children suffering from stuttering are often set aside and picked last or notpicked at all to join any of the related activities of a certain group. Thismakes them feel that they are unwanted, resulting to low self-esteem, lackof self-confidence, mood swings, lack of initiative, depression attacks, anda weak personality in the long run.

What can be done?

Parents and teachers can greatly help a lot to lessen the emotional effectson shuttering on children. This is because they can directly affect how thechild with stuttering problems think and socialize with others.

For parents, they should always give their full support to their kids thatsuffer from stuttering no matter what. They should be able to explain totheir kids what is their condition, its causes, how it happens, and what

could be done about it to make kids feel that they are not alone in dealingwith the problem.

Parents must always provide their kids an environment that where they canfeel safe, loved, and nurtured for them to overcome the condition at theirown pace.


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Teachers can also play a big role in helping minimize the effects ofstuttering on kids. This is by extending a helping hand and more patienceto child in the school setting.

Teachers must realize that kids who stutter tend to lose self esteem quicklyso they must do something to make the child understand that he or she is

not inferior compared to other classmates.


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How Parents Can Help Stop Stuttering

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Above all else, parents are the primary set of people who can greatly helpkids who have stuttering problems. This is because they can directlyinfluence the way children act and think.

For parents to better aide their children the best thing that could do is thatto make sure that their children is at peace with his stutter and develop astrong personality even with the stutter issues.

Tips for parents

Parents must also realize first that the emotional effects of stuttering inchildren can be very devastating if not dealt with correctly. The followingare just some of the tips parents can use in helping their kids understandthat stuttering is not the end of the world and they can definitely dosomething to overcome the condition:


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1. Make the kids understand what is stuttering. Explaining to kids what isstuttering and why this happens can greatly help them to understand andaccept their condition. Make them understand that this speech impedimentnot only happens to him or her but to many people as well. Once the childunderstands why is this happening, acceptance will follow which will makeit easier for both parties to undergo alternatives and measures to overcomeand fully treat the condition.

2. Instill positive reinforcement in your kids. Although kids are very positivein nature, they easily get depressed and distracted if people do notconstantly guide and monitor them. If you have a child who suffers fromstuttering, chances are they are losing his or her self-esteem slowly.

Once they have low self-confidence, it will be harder to get theircooperation in treating the condition. The best way to avoid losing selfesteem among kids is for parents to instill in them that there is nothingshameful about stuttering and the best way to deal with it is thoughacceptance.

Parents must make the kids understand that accepting the fact that theysuffer from a speech impediment such as stuttering is indeed the first stepto curing the condition.

Once the child has accepted his or her speech problem, he or she will befree from the chains of suffering and low self-esteem. Also, once the childis at peace with the idea that he or she stutters, the child will openly acceptwhatever teasing and insult is thrown at him without getting depressed somuch.

3. Explain to the child that stuttering does not make him or her inferior toanybody. In kids, the major effect of stuttering is losing self-esteem thatstem from their inability to express themselves freely. By telling your childthat he or she is not inferior to anybody because of the condition, the childwill realize that there is nothing so embarrassing about the condition andwill make him or her exerts more effort in communicating effectively.


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4. Always focus on your child's skills and potential and not on the speechproblem. Instead of focusing on the negative effects that stuttering mayhave on his social and relationship skills, focus instead on the good pointsthat they have when making social contact. Many kids who suffer fromstuttering can overcome their condition when given proper encouragementand support.

5. Give your full support all the way. Parents should comprise the foremostsupport group of kids who suffer from stuttering. Knowing that you are partof his support group, that you will always be there no matter what andknowing that you will always accept him despite his condition will give him

enough support to move on and aspire for greater things in life.


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When Should Your Stuttering Child See a Specialist

Babies are not able to speak yet forthe first few years after they areborn. However, if the child isalready 5 years old and is stillstuttering, perhaps you shouldalready see a specialist.

Some instances that merit theneed to see a specialist includerepeating whole words orphrases, sound and syllable

repetitions start to happen moreoften, an increase in theprolongations of words, thechild's speech begins to be effortful or strained, an increase in facialtension or tightness in the speech muscles, vocal tension resulting in highpitch or loudness, the child chooses to avoid speaking and other facial orbody movements that go along with stuttering.

The specialist who will see your child is a called a speech languagepathologist. This person is trained in human communication, itsdevelopment and the various disorders including stuttering. Mostindividuals have a master's degree and must pass a state certification orlicensure exam in order to practice as well have a certificate from the ASHAor American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. If the doctor is notaround, a speech assistant can help out.

It is hard to ask your friends the name of a specialist. Fortunately, you can

turn your attention to the Stuttering Foundation of America who will be ableto provide you with the name of a pathologist. You may also check out thenearest university, hospital or clinic for assistance. These places will offertesting and therapy for those who are stuttering.


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At home, you should be very understanding with your child by talking to himor her slowly and encouraging the other family members to do the same.Give them some quality time so they can ask questions and you shouldwait at least a second or two before giving your response. Just don't makethe mistake of speaking too slowly since this will sound strange.

The most challenging thing to do is not being upset or annoyed when thestuttering increases. Remember you are already getting help and it takestime for the child to learn new skills and overcome this situation.

You should also reassure your child because if you think that you are theonly one who feels frustrated, they feel it too.

There are 3 basic categories of stuttering and the second and thirdcategory will need the help of a professional because you don't have theexpertise to do this on your own.

Some parents wait several months before doing anything but you don'thave to wait that long. You can do a simple test by observing your child forten minutes when he or she is very talkative.

If the child stutters more than three times and there is a history of this in thefamily then you need to seek the help of a speech language pathologist.

There is no cure yet for stuttering. The only thing professionals can do istreat it. If you talk to someone who claims that they have a cure, don't buyit. If you have tried one form of therapy and it does not work, don't give up

because there are others you can try.

You should not take any chances if your child stutters because you are notsure if he or she will be able to outgrow this like others have in the past.


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Is There A Miracle Cure For Stuttering Among Kids?

Most of the time peoplelook for easy fixes andmiracle cures for a lot ofdifferent illness anddiseases. In a lot ofinstances people areasking to be rid of theirsickness without reallyunderstanding what thesymptoms and causes of

the illness is.

People are easy to think that a miracle cure can help them save the day.The truth is the no miracle cure for AIDS, there is no wonder drug for HIVand as true as those two truths can be, there is no cure for stuttering.

Stuttering is a speech impediment that causes a person to repeat orprolong the syllables, a word or a single phrase in their statement. This isoften caused by severe anxiety, over excitement, self consciousness,embarrassment and stress.

People who are put in a hot seat situation often times stutter and stammerfor the words to say. People who experience stuttering may experience itas a self-defense mechanism. Adults who have most likely developedstuttering as a defense mechanism also suffer from low self esteem, lack ofself confidence, weak personality and weak communication skills.

Most of the time children who have developed stuttering outgrow it in theirearly toddler years. Children develop stuttering at the time that they are justabout learning how to speak.


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The reason behind is that they are yet to be familiarized with the differenttextures of sound and they are comfortable in reciting the words or phrasesthat they find most convenient to them.

Children who are well observed and guided outgrow stuttering without anyproblems, but for children who do not out grow stuttering there are somefactors that contribute to it. One may be the child's confusion in thelanguage usage.

Multi-lingual families often have this kind of setback in the speechdevelopment of a child, especially when the child is exposed to differentwords of different etymologies.

Families having and using different dialects or languages to communicatemakes it difficult for a child to learn which one language they need to use.

Another problem or factor is the child's ability to receive proper coachingand encouragement from parents, children who are rarely monitored byparents often never over come their stuttering because no one was there tohelp them out. Stuttering in adults causes serious social issues, all of itcould have been detected and taken care of as children when they weredeveloping.

For parents, finding the time to stimulate and motivate your children todevelop their esteem and their communication skills helps a lot in changingthe way people talk. People with stutters of ten need help early on.

Lastly, one of the major factors that contribute to development of stutteringis the refusal of parents to submit their children to professional help. Someparents, especially those with close minds find it a disgrace to them asparents to have a child with defects.


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Considering the lack of communication skills in a child is considerabledefect which constitutes to abnormality. Though a rarity nowadays peoplewho are stuck in the medieval times still think it is god's punishment to havechildren with defects.

The real cure for stuttering is knowledge and understanding, there are a lotof speech therapy classes and facilities that specialize in helping peoplewith stutters live a normal life and all it takes is for people to understand.

You do NOT need to spend energy using 'will power' to control yourspeech consciously, there is a scientific reason why people stutter,and you'll learn how to stop it for good.

Click here to learn the easiest & fastest wayto stop your stuttering
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Understanding Stuttering on Children