Help Your Child Overcome Stuttering

Stuttering can take several forms. Maybe, the most familiar form of stuttering occurs when a person repeats the first sound in a word over and over. Stuttering can also involve prolonging a vowel, excessive pausing between words, and other disfluencies. If your child suffers from stuttering, the condition can contribute to feelings of social anxiety and a fear of public speaking. 

Stuttering Is not Permanent

One thing to remember about stuttering is that it is not a permanent condition. Children who stutter might think that they will never have the ability to speak in public or stressful situations, but this is not necessarily true. There are many famous people who work in the public spotlight all the time, who struggled with stuttering at one point in their lives. The list includes Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, and Samuel L. Jackson. Thus, if you feel like stuttering is holding your child back, the first thing to remember is that it doesn't have to. 

Treatment

The second key thing to remember about stuttering is that what works for one person might not work for everyone. If a therapist gives a suggestion to help your child overcome stuttering, and it doesn't work, keep looking. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution to stuttering. You may need to go to a speech pathologist for an evaluation. After taking a close look at your child's condition, a pathologist should be able to design a treatment option that will help to gain control of the stuttering. 

Expectations

Some people are able to completely cease stuttering, others learn how to stutter less, and others learn a way to talk to reduce how noticeable their stuttering is. When you take your child to therapy for stuttering, you should have realistic expectations about what you will gain from treatments. A therapist will aid you and your child in setting goals based on what the child's condition is. 

When to Seek Treatment

Some stuttering is common for children, so just because your child starts to stutter, you don't need to feel like you must immediately schedule an appointment for a pathologist. However, you should be concerned about stuttering if your child does not begin to recover spontaneously about six months after the onset of stuttering. Prolonged duration is one sign that the stuttering may become chronic. 

While some stuttering is normal in children who are learning to talk, and occasional stuttering is common in adults, you should not feel like you simply have to accept stuttering. To aid in communication and in developing self confidence, you should take your children to a speech pathologist if they show signs of chronic stuttering. 

To learn more, contact a company likeABC Pediatric Therapy.