Stuttering in children is often witnessed at an age of 3 or 4 years. This can lead to serious impaired communication disorders, if it is not treated at its early stage. Children with stuttering problem can also develop certain emotional problems like speaking on phone or in public, fear to interact with new people etc.
Causes of stuttering in children
Till now there have been many theories and beliefs about the stuttering causes in children. But still the causes of this disorder remains a kind of mystery. All it can be said is that, stuttering is mostly due to some kind of problem in brain activity, which is responsible for speech production.
How to help your child who stutters?
There are many things tha you can do as a parent to overcome your child’s stuttering. They are:
- Avoid speaking with your little one in a hurried manner. Give some frequent pauses, while talking to your child. Wait for some seconds after your little one has finished talking, and then you start talking. Try to talk slow, as this will help your little one to grasp it more effectively, than advising him or her to “slow down” or “ try it slowly”.
- Do not ask too many questions to your child. Children usually tend to speak more clear and free, when they are expressing themselves and not answering to any questions.
- Try to use lot of facial expressions, to make your little one understand that you are listening to all the content of what she is speaking and not how she is speaking.
- Give all the members a chance to talk and listen to your little one. Especially children who stutter finds it very comfortable to speak, when there is no kind of disturbance and also have the listener’s attention.
- Try to convey your little one, that you have lot of time to hear him and listen to all those things what he or she wants to tell you. Reduce disturbances, interruptions, questions, criticisms and rapid talking patterns.
- Last but not the least, you must convey your child, that you accept him or her as the way he or she is. Your support is the big thing, that you must give your little one whether he or she stutters or not.
