![[Overton]](Logo.gif)
Talking About Stuttering: What Parents Can Do to Help
by Valerie Johnston, MS, CCC-SLP
There are many things parents can do to help
a child who stutters speak more fluently, but one of the most important things
is to make stuttering a no big deal topic for discussion. Most children,
especially older children, know that they are having trouble talking. When
their parents don’t acknowledge this and avoid talking about it, many children
become convinced that stuttering is something so terrible that it can’t even be
discussed. This has been referred to as the conspiracy of silence and it
creates shame and guilt, along with a lot of other negative emotions.
With young children, making stuttering a
topic for open discussion means that you respond to any negative emotion that
your child shows when talking. You know your child better than anyone else, so
do and say what feels right to you. As an example, when your child sighs in
frustration after he’s had a particularly difficult time getting a word out,
you could hug or touch him and say something like, “Talking can be hard
sometimes, can’t it?” This helps your child know that you understand and care.
Think about how you would respond if your child came to you upset and crying
because he fell down and scraped his knee. You wouldn’t just ignore it – you’d
respond by comforting him and then taking care of his knee. It’s important to
do the same with stuttering. However, it’s equally important that you don’t
label the behavior (unless your child already has) and that you don’t make
suggestions for how he can change the way he talks; simply respond to the
emotion your child is conveying. This lets your child know that you’re there to
support him and it opens up the channels of communication for later discussions
of the problem.
With older children, you can talk more
directly, in a matter of fact way, about stuttering (or whatever label your
child uses). This manner of discussing stuttering places no blame and is very
similar to discussing any other topic. The discussions you and your child have
could focus on many different aspects of stuttering; for example, your child’s
feelings and level of concern about his speech or what he does to try and make
talking easier. It is important that you discuss topics that your child feels
are important and that you are supportive of him and try to understand his
point of view. Try to avoid direct questions and use commenting to begin these
discussions (“I’ve noticed that you’ve had more trouble talking lately” or “You
seem to be talking easier today”). If your child begins a discussion, follow
his lead. When your child does not want to discuss his speech, respect his
wishes and try again later. What is important is that you let your child know
that stuttering is no big deal and that you’ll be there when he wants to talk
about it.
By opening up the lines of communication and discussing stuttering in a matter of fact way with your child you can play a significant role in minimizing the negative emotions, such as shame and guilt, that often accompany stuttering. And, not having these negative emotions will make it much easier for your child to learn to control his stuttering and become an effective communicator.
If you have questions or need more information you can contact us at:
Overton
Speech & Language Center, Inc.
4763 Barwick Drive, Suite 103
Fort Worth, TX 76132
(817) 294-8408
Return to main stuttering page