Stuttering- what parents should know

Your child starts having “bumpy speech”. Then he or she is repeating some words. You can’t tell if they are becoming frustrated. You aren’t sure whether this is going to stop or keep getting worse.

Stuttering in your toddler, preschooler, or school aged child can be scary- for you and for them! But it doesn’t have to be. There are many developmental and cognitive/language leaps that may cause a young child or preschooler to have a developmental (or temporary) stutter, and there are some older children that may have a stutter that persists longer. It can be hard to distinguish whether your child has a developmental or a persistent stutter.

The most important thing to know is that disfluencies in speech (stutters) are typical and we ALL occasionally have disfluent speech. Supporting your child is first and foremost, and making sure they are not uncomfortable or upset about their communication skills.

Here are some tips you as a parent can use to support your child’s smooth speech and increase “speech fluency”!

1) Model slow, relaxed speech with your child, pausing frequently. Try to avoid using phrases like “slow down” or “try it again”

2) Reduce the questions you ask your child, focusing more on comments

3) Make sure you use whole body to listen to your child, making sure you are giving them your full attention

4) Set aside some special time every day you are able to spend one on one time with your child

5) Make sure everyone in the family takes turns listening to each other. As much as possible, keep your home quiet and calm.

If your child is experiencing a stutter, seek advice from a Speech Language Pathologist who may be able to determine if an evaluation, parent coaching, or treatment may be a good option for your family!

Some of the above suggestions were adapted from my favorite resource for stuttering: https://www.stutteringhelp.org/suggestions-parents

-Brittany