Tips for Children who Stutter

Guidelines for Adjusting the Environment for Children Who Stutter

Disfluencies, or moments of stuttering, often start to appear when children are learning more complex language and grammar. Around this time, children are learning so many different things, from socializing with peers, learning complex language, learning different ways to play, and so much more. Many children begin to stutter when the demands of their environment for speech exceed their ability to speak fluently. While speech may sound different during moments of stuttering, it is not less effective. Stuttering occurs in the neural pathways involved in planning movements of speech production.

There are many modifications that can be made in the home to best support your child and their ability to communicate. The following are some environmental modifications that can be made:

1. Modeling Positive Communication Attitudes - Research has shifted from focusing on correcting the disfluency to accepting the disfluency and managing the emotions around it. Model slow-paced speech: Instead of telling your child to "slow down" or "try again slowly," add pauses in your own speech. This shows them that it’s okay to speak slowly without pressure, helping them feel more relaxed about their speech and avoiding negative feelings around speaking. Give full attention and validate their message: Always focus on what your child is saying and validate them, whether they are fluent or not. Offer unconditional praise to the child, highlighting who they are and what they did instead of if they had smooth speech. For example, if your child shares they did a craft at school, praise them for the craft instead of how they communicated. Avoid reacting negatively, as this helps prevent any discouraging experiences during communication.

2. Advocating - For parents of children who stutter, it's important to advocate for your child while also teaching them how to advocate for themselves. By modeling advocacy phrases at home, you can provide your child with a variety of ways to express their needs and feel confident in speaking up for themselves.

3. Decreasing Pressure with Time - It's important to give plenty of wait time when talking or asking questions. This allows your child time to process the information and respond at their own pace, helping to reduce pressure and support smoother communication.

4. Reducing Demands - For parents of children who stutter, try to avoid asking multiple questions in a row. Instead, use phrases like "I wonder..." to make comments. For example, replace "How was your day at school, what did you do today, was it a fun day?" with "I wonder how your day at school was." This approach helps reduce pressure and makes communication feel more relaxed.

   
   

This information was sourced from the Journal of Childhood Communication Disorders, in an article titled "Managing the Environment of the Stutterer."

Written by: Marissa Porter, MS, CCC-SLP