What should I know?
First, it’s important to know that it is not uncommon for young children developing language to go through a period of stuttering and data suggests that for approximately 75% of those children who start stuttering, the stuttering will resolve on its own. We now know that stuttering is caused by differences arising within the brain; it is not a learned behavior. There is also a genetic component to stuttering which means that if a child has a family member who stutters, the chances may be greater for their stuttering to persist rather than resolve on its own. Worldwide, there are more than 70 million people who stutter. Stuttering is more frequently seen in males than females and typically begins prior to the age of six years. Do not hesitate to reach out to a speech/language pathologist (SLP) if you find that your child has started to stutter. The are many helpful things that that can be done and the SLP is there to guide you in your understanding of stuttering, provide you with supportive strategies to use at home, and to help you feel more at ease with stuttering.
What should I do?
- Telling your child things such as, “take a breath”, “relax”, or “slow down” are discouraged as those types of comments are generally not helpful and in some cases, can make your child more frustrated.
- Listen patiently while your child completes what they are trying to say. When they have finished saying what they wanted to, respond to what they said, not how their talking sounded.
- While a moment of stuttering is happening, refrain from interrupting your child or completing what they are trying to say. Instead, listen patiently while maintaining normal eye contact.
- When conversation partners make a point of following the “only one person talking at a time rule”, communication time pressure is decreased and a more relaxed communication experience is fostered. This means not talking over others and not starting to talk while someone else is still speaking.
- Avoid bombarding your child with too many questions or putting your child on the spot with “performative speaking” (e.g., “Tell grandma all about our picnic we had the other day.”).
- If your child makes negative comments about their talking (e.g., “I can’t say it!”), shows visible communication frustration, or stops trying to get their message across (e.g., “Never mind”), you can respond by: 1) acknowledging their difficulty (e.g., “Your words got a bit stuck. That would make me frustrated too.”), 2) let them know that it is okay (e.g., “It’s okay when our talking gets stuck. Sometimes that just happens”.), and 3) refocus on the conversation topic (e.g., “Let’s find that T-rex dinosaur we were looking for.”).
- Make sure your child knows that you value what they say. When kids feel like their ideas/words/stories are valued, they are more likely to persist in communicating, even when it is difficult (e.g., “I love your idea! Thanks for telling it to me.” or “That was a really cool story. I’m so glad you told it to me”).
- Make time each day for a few minutes of one-on-one play time with your child in a quiet, relaxing setting that is free of distractions. Limit your use of questions and follow your child’s lead in play.
When should I seek out help?
