General Information Regarding Child Stutters

By Leslie Ball


Stuttering, which may also be called stammering, refers to a problem with speech that affects people young and old. This term describes a disorder of speech that interrupts the flow of speech, often leading to repetition, or prolongations of sounds, syllables, phrases or words. There may be pauses or blocks caused by the stutterer being incapable of producing any sound. Parents or guardians who notice a child stutters are encouraged to get them the professional help they need as soon as possible to manage or treat this disorder.

There are specific signs to look out for then identifying this problem. Generally, these can be observed through breaking down speech fluency. People that has this problem typically repeat words, syllables, phrases or sounds. They may also have blocks of silence in their communication and prolong different sounds. This is not common for people who do not have a stammering disorder. The severity of the stutter will vary by person and may even be inconsistent within a person.

Stuttering can be difficult for a lot of people, including young kids. Children may be teased for their speech difficulty. It is common for stutterers to experience feelings of frustration, anger, shame, guilt, embarrassment and fear because of their condition. This could make them develop a negative self-image and less interest in communicating with others. Social interaction is important to child development.

There is not a single cause for this disorder, only hypotheses and theories. Still, some evidence does point to the belief that it is linked to genetics. Children who have close family with stuttering problems have a higher likelihood of developing it. There are also many people who stammer and have no family history of this problem. The issue is expected to be more common in kids who have concomitant language, speech, learning or motor difficulties.

Before any type of treatment is provided, people need to be individually assessed to determine their condition. Sometimes stammered speech is difficult to diagnose because it requires the knowledge and skills of speech-language pathologists or SLPs. There is no absolute cure for most. Still, plenty of solutions can be used to help people maintain control over their speech.

Most treatments are centered on learning methods that help limit the stutter by regulation of breath, reduction of talk speed, and gradually working from single syllables onto long words and then complex sentences. Specific therapies are focused on limiting anxiety that might develop as a result of these communication troubles. Sometimes, the anxiety makes the stuttering even worse.

SLPs are an ideal professional to offer support in these cases. They work closely with their patients on how to control and monitor their communication. People who learn to talk slower and without a lot of physical tension may see major improvements in their stammering. They may also learn new techniques of breathing, including how to monitor and regulate it. Other potential solutions for this disorder: medication, diaphragmatic breathing, electronic fluency devices, modification therapy and support.

Every person will require a different approach and see unique results. It can take time for results to be noticed. Still, it is important to stay optimistic and follow directions given by the SLP. Stutterers might have a lot of obstacles to deal with as a result of their condition, which is why children should be properly diagnosed and treated early on.




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