What's the stuttering therapy for child?

Some children appear to recover from stuttering without any intervention. This may be because parents 'discover' a version of the correct treatment for stuttering. There are many problems in estimating the actual rate of natural recovery - estimates have ranged from 30 to 90 per cent of cases. Several recent estimates have been around the 75 per cent mark. However, these were population estimates and they cannot be applied to children who come to a clinic for treatment. For reasons unknown, boys seem to be less likely to recover naturally than girls.

Parents should not believe, or be advised, that a child will 'grow out of' stuttering. This cannot be true in all cases, for if it were there would be no such thing as stuttering in adulthood! Parents should always seek professional help from a speech pathologist if their child begins to stutter. The speech pathologist will determine whether treatment should occur immediately or whether it is better to wait a while to see if natural recovery occurs. Stuttering children should always be treated at some time during the preschool years.

Many forms of therapy involve learning new speech habits and/or unlearning problematic speech patterns. The National Stuttering Project suggests the following to help you understand your child or anyone who stutters:

If your child stutters, you can help by doing the following: Speak to your child slowly and clearly. Make eye contact with your child and use your facial expressions and other body language in addition to words to communicate with your child. Be a patient, attentive listener. Do not finish your child's words or sentences and do not interrupt. Do not pressure your child to speak to strangers or perform in public. If your child's life is stressful at home or at school, work with family members or teachers to provide a more relaxed environment.

More information on stuttering