Basic Guide about Stuttering for Parents

For parents who are worried about their children who are stuttering, you just have to bear in mind that this is only a phase that they are going through. It may alleviate your feelings to know that about 5% of children in preschool stutter. This phase is referred to as pseudostuttering or developmental dysfluency, which they will eventually outgrow. This may arise from various reasons, the most common of which is the fact that at this point, they are eagerly learning how to talk.

You don’t need to worry because this is only normal, but if the case is already causing problems, like the child feels intimidated in talking to other people or they are exhibiting such for more than six months already, this is the time when you can seek doctor’s help.  Out of all cases, only 1% of these children will continue to carry this kind of problem until they get older.

Symptoms

The speech of people with this condition gets interrupted when they make certain sounds longer or repeat syllables, parts or the whole words. It is said that it is more common for boys to acquire such case. This is one kind of a neurological disorder and can be acquired through genetic reasons. If the person has been suffering from this case for more than six months, they must undergo thorough evaluation to be performed by a professional speech language pathologist. You can also consult such even if the patient is a preschooler, but if the condition is not bothering them, you can wait if they will be able to outgrow this. 

Available Therapy Techniques 

Even if there is not one single cure that has been invented for this condition, there are various treatments that a patient can opt to alleviate the speech pattern defects. These treatments include the following. Once you have consulted a professional, they can give you the appropriate kind based on their findings. For one, they can recommend that your child take medications, although these are not commonly used. They can also be advised to go through a speech therapy, which can be done at summer clinics or at intensive clinics.

There are some electronic devices that are available these days, which focus on the choral effect and technique of choral speech. With these, the words of the one who stutters are being matched with another voice. There are also devices that are placed in the ear of the child. This tool can replay the words of the child after a brief delay. It is able to copy the choral effect, while decreasing and can completely eliminate the speech defect. Even if these therapies will work at the beginning, the results and improvements won’t be permanent. 

There are other basic things that you ought to know about this condition to understand the concept better. Stuttering doesn’t occur as a result of emotional and psychological dilemma. You have to help your child cope with the condition by not interfering with what they are saying. You must allow them to finish what they are saying and make them feel that they are not being rushed into anything. 
