What do I have to do if my son stutters
It is inevitable to feel anguish and fear if we see that the speech of our son does not develop "as it should". Therefore, the first thing is to calm down: the nerves do not help anyone, let alone the child. After this, we go in parts, are you sure that your son is stutterer? Maybe it only has a typical disfluencia of the age.
What is stuttering?
The pediatricians of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics in Early Care define the stammering as a disturbance of the speech rhythm that is characterized because the child repeats frequently and prolongs sounds, syllables or words. It arises especially in childhood, from 18 months.
The Spanish Stuttering Foundation clarifies that there are hardly "stuttering children". "5% of children have disfluencies between two and five years, "they explain, while ensuring that eight out of ten cases have the possibility of remission, which is why" we should not catalog them or hang them a poster, with the psychological burden what this implies. "From this foundation they encourage parents to talk about" children who make disfluencies, who repeat, who get blocked ".
Diagnosis of stuttering in children
As it happens in the majority of the disorders, an early diagnosis is essential: "It is very important to make a preventive consultation with a specialized language therapist", recommend these experts, who say that the worst thing that parents can do "is to wait, because the closer to the beginning of the symptom is intervened, the better the result".
It will be the specialist who will be able to distinguish if what happens to our child are normal symptoms of fluidity or if they are the expressions that indicate the beginning of a stuttering. Once diagnosed, different types of treatment or intervention can be established.
The treatment for a stuttering child
The speech therapist will be in charge of determining what treatment the child needs. This will depend on what problem you have in particular, because sometimes these speech difficulties are related to ear problems.
Usually, treatments for stuttering children they are summarized in two: direct intervention with the child or the indirect intervention, which occurs through their parents. The latter is the most typical for younger children.
The objective of this professional intervention is to reestablish fluency before the structures of language are consolidated with disfluencies. "As of school age, the approach is oriented towards reduce stress to be able to increase the comfort and ease of speaking, together with the modification of the attitudes associated with their disfluency ", adds the foundation.
How do I treat a child with stuttering?
If your child has stuttering, the essential thing is normalize it: this can not be the subject of all the conversations, because we will end up transmitting to the child an unnecessary anguish. This does not mean that we have to omit this topic: on the contrary, it is necessary to talk with him to show how he feels, if he is afraid or complex and how we can help him.
The attitude of parents of children with disfluencies
- Accept the way your child talks.
- Do not feel guilty if your son stutters.
- Do not consider stuttering as something negative.
- Try not to convey displeasure when the child gets stuck.
- Do not get impatient when the child stutters.
- Think that the child makes efforts to control his speech.
Key advice if your child has stuttering
- Avoid asking direct questions: they make you nervous because it requires a specific response. Do not abuse issues that need long answers.
- Read at home with the little one.
- Have conversations and let them express themselves without fear.
- Look him in the eyes, give him confidence when he gets stuck.
- Do not talk fast: it is an indirect way of getting the child to speak slowly.
- Use a simple language.
- If it gets stuck, let it end: do not give recommendations, it will overwhelm you Stuttering at school.
A very important fear for both children and parents is the arrival at school. Nobody wants the rest of partners treat badly the little one because he can not talk like them. The first advice here is clear: talk to the teacher, because his knowledge and understanding are essential. "An informed teacher can intervene facilitating attitudes of understanding and openness to diversity, "says the foundation in this regard.
Of course, we can not expect our son to be treated differently. The child has to be integrated into the class and attitudes towards him must be normal: remember that the school is a 'training' for adult life, where you will not receive special treatment. In essence, the best will be talk with the teacher and the therapist of language to arrive at a joint solution that all parties must maintain.
Damián Montero
