How To Deal With A Stammer?
A stammer or stutter is fairly common among small children and isn't usually a cause for concern. If your child has a stammer in their speech and they are under the age of 5, then there is a good chance that they will outgrow it. If your child is over the age of 5, then you could explore some methods to help them overcome the stammer and help their speech become clear.
What Causes A Stammer?
A stammer is a speech disorder that is very common in children, especially young boys, and is usually a short-term problem that goes away within a few months or years. It is very rare when it continues into adulthood or begins late in adulthood.
Also known as a stutter, a stammer is when the speech has stoppages or delays, or often the words are stretched out. Speech and language therapists can help manage the condition and can help the person overcome this condition.
It is unclear what causes a stammer, but it may be caused due to a combination of different factors that are genetic, hereditary, and anxiety disorders. Stress and anxiety can trigger a stammer in small children. An injury, stroke, or accident can trigger a stammer in adults.
Stammering is more common in males than females, and it is estimated that one in every 20 children will develop a stammer under the age of 5. Nine out of ten children outgrow their stammer on their own. If the stammer persists at school age, it becomes more difficult to treat.
How To Deal With A Stammer In A Child?
Typically a stammer does not require any treatment, and it can go away on its own as the child grows. Treatment for a stammer is mostly required if the child's stammer persists into an older age or begins in adulthood. Here is how a stammer can be treated:
At-Home Treatment
Provide A Relaxed Home Environment
Maintaining a relaxed home environment is important to allow your child to feel comfortable expressing themselves. If there are more family members in the household, they must be supportive and patient when the child wants to speak, has questions, or is excited to share something.
Speaking To The Child Slowly And Clearly
Make sure that when you speak to your child, you speak calmly and in a relaxed manner. Make sure to speak slowly so that your speech is clear and easy to understand for the child and that they can learn by example.
Not Reacting When The Child Speaks With A Stammer
Be careful not to react negatively or be impatient when the child speaks with a stammer. Reacting negatively or interrupting the child during speech can cause your child to become insecure and even more afraid to speak.
Being Supportive
Do not try to rush your child when they speak with a stammer or complete their sentences for them. Allow them to speak and complete their sentences and be supportive. Make them feel confident and relaxed about their stammer. If they wish to discuss their stammering problem with you, be gentle and open to discussing any emotions they might be feeling about their stammer. But remember to remain encouraging and positive.
Seeking Professional Help
Many professional treatment programs are present to help those suffering from a stammering problem. The type of treatment you choose depends on the patient's age and the severity of their condition.
Psychological Therapies
These treatments are normally used for adults and involve therapy sessions to help treat anxiety and stress. They are not directly used for treating the stammer or correct speech but help to manage the patient's stress and anxiety, which acts as a trigger for the stammer or makes it worse.
Parental Involvement
This involves the whole family during therapy, in which the child is encouraged to speak slowly as well along with the whole family. The child is praised by everyone when they speak slowly and clearly and gently corrected when they stammer.
Feedback Devices
Certain sound devices can help people speak slowly and more clearly. Electronic devices can change how a sound is heard and slow down the speed at which they speak. The patients can hear their speech through the device and can attempt to change it accordingly to help make it clearer and slower.
Stuttering Modification
It is a behavioral technique developed by Van Riper in the 1930s and involves 3 phases. Here are the different phases explained in detail.
Identification
Identify the level and severity of the person's stammer
Identify how their stammer differs in reading aloud, spontaneous speech, and others
Desensitization
This involves desensitizing the person to their stuttering or stammering behavior
Desensitizing by direct confrontation
Modification
There are three steps to the modification process:
Cancellation
Complete their word while stuttering and make them go back to and say it in the correct manner
Pull out
Pulling out during the struggle of the speech and restarting
Preparatory Sets
Asses the difficult words and speak them very slowly and with clarity
Stabilization
Carrying out all learned techniques spontaneously
The Final Word
Stammering is not a disease; rather, it is a common occurrence that is thought to be associated with stress and anxiety. Children and people who stammer have no learning disabilities. Instead, they are just slower in getting their words across. They are just stereotyped as being nervous or shy. A stammer can easily be managed and cured in most cases if the child is dealt with patiently and gently and encouraged to complete their sentences. Most cases go away on their own before the age of 5, and those that persist can be treated with professional help and managed at home with the support of family and friends.