Does your Child Have a Stammer?
Our Expert Speech & Language Therapists Provide Evidence Based, Quality Therapy to Help Children with Stammers
Stammering means that your words get stuck when you speak. Often you know what you want to say but can’t get the words out. This can be repeating words or bits of words, stretching sounds out or even getting completely blocked up when trying to say a word so that no sound comes out. Another word for stammering is ‘dysfluency’. Our therapists can help children who stammer and their families.
Some Facts About Stammering
Childhood stammers normally start between 2 and 5 years (after the child has already started to speak).
Between 5 and 8 percent of children will stammer at some point, but most of these will not continue to stammer.
Up to 3% of adults stammer.
In the UK we use the term stammering. Other countries use the term stuttering. But it's the same thing.
A parent cannot be the cause of a child’s stammer.
Having a stammer is not linked to your level of intelligence.
Stammering affects more than just speech; it causes feelings such as anxiety, frustration, embarrassment and low confidence.
There is no cure for stammering but sizeable gains can be achieved in both fluency of speech and in the feelings underlying the stammer.
Scientists have been researching possible causes and cures for many years, the current consensus is that there are a few different things that act together to cause children to have an ongoing stammer including having a family history of stammering, how the brain is wired for speech, what their speech and language skills are like and what their home environment is like with regards to communication, e.g. does everyone all talk at once?
(The Michael Palin Centre; The British Stammering Association; The City Lit, 2019)
If you’d like to talk one of our therapists about your concerns about your child’s stammering we can arrange a free consultation.
Tips for parents on how to support children who stammer
Here are some of the ways that parents can help by reducing the demands on their child’s speech:
Instead of asking your child to slow down their talking (which raises awareness and can cause frustration), slow your speech down when you talk to them. This puts them at ease and they will automatically begin to imitate your slower rate of speech.
Listen carefully to your child and show that you are interested. This shows them that their talking and ideas are valued, whether they stammer or not.
DON’T advise them to slow down / take a deep breath. This tends to make things worse!
Do plenty of fun activities that do not require them to talk to take the focus of their talking. Especially things they are good at / motivated by.
Avoid asking lots of questions. When you do ask questions give them plenty time to answer.
Aim for consistency and structure in routine. E.g. bedtime, meals and discipline.
Be mindful of treating everyone in the family the same, including the child who stammers.
Avoid reacting negatively in any way to stammering, this includes showing worried emotions on your face.
Consider whether your child is getting enough sleep and is eating well. Both these things have an impact on fluency. Often making bedtime slightly earlier or introducing a smoothy with secret fruit and veg in it can make a surprising improvement to fluency!
Make a note of what is happening around any periods of increased/improved dysfluency and talk about these with your speech therapist.
During periods of dysfluency avoid asking any questions and try to reduce the pressure to communicate.
Don’t finish off sentences for your child. This may cause reduced self-confidence and increase frustration, especially if the person finishing off the sentence chooses different words than what the child intended to say.
Try to keep full eye contact when speaking to your child, as often dysfluent children lose eye contact when stammering.
Allow your child extra time to finish what they are saying and do not rush them.
Try introducing Special Time, a short, 5-minute play time that each parent or carer has with their child, 3-5 times a week. Go somewhere where you will not be disturbed, ask your child to choose the activity. Focus on being present, giving your child your undivided attention. Listen to what they are saying rather than how they are talking.
How our Speech and Language Therapy Can Help Children and Young People Who Stammer
We assess each child’s needs holistically and design our treatment plans around the unique needs of each child. At the centre of everything we do are the goals, aspirations and expectations of the child and their family. We use evidence based approaches and techniques that we have had specific training to use, including:
Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
Palin PCI
CBT techniques
Block Modification
ACT
The Swindon approaches: Smoothies, Blockbusters and Teens Challenge
Elklan approaches
How can we help you and your child?
If you interested in how our expert speech and language therapy can help your child, click below to request a free telephone consultation with one of our therapists or to book an initial assessment appointment. We will assess your child’s strengths and needs and design a therapy package to suit your child’s unique learning style, and your budget. We can also support children and young people in the over one hundred schools that commission our schools speech and language therapy service.
