Dr. Ramig and Dr. Murphy give some helpful ways to help a child who stutters at http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad11/papers/therapy11/murphy11.html
Children need to learn some coping techniques while they are young so they "change some of the learned avoidant reactions that often develop as a result of the unpleasantness of stuttering." I wonder if many of the adult stutterers would not stutter as badly if they had gotten professional help when they were young, if their parents and teachers had learned how to help them, and if they had not acquired some of the habits of avoidance and secondary behaviors that most people who stutter seem to get.
From posts that I have read online, I feel that many young people who go to a speech therapist don't get much out of it because they don't really want to be there. They don't want to have to leave their regular class in school to go to therapy. If you aren't really wanting to be in therapy at the time, how can you get anything out of it?
Being able to verbalize the fact that you stutter, being able to talk about it to your family, and being able to express your feelings about stuttering is one of the big first steps to improving your speech. Anyone who stutters or who has lived with someone who stutters will tell you that stuttering is worse if you are trying NOT to stutter. If a child knows that a parent is embarrassed by their stuttering, he/she will try not to stutter or will just stop talking. The Stuttering Foundation (www.stutteringhelp.org) has a brochure to help parents who have a child who stutters. They have books, online help, DVDs, and other material to help all ages. Dr. Ramig is coauthor of some of the materials.
Showing posts with label Helping others who stutter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Helping others who stutter. Show all posts
How people can help when talking with someone who stutters
These tips are from The Stuttering Foundation of America:
"Stuttering may look like an easy problem that can be solved with some simple advice, but for many adults, it can be a chronic life-long disorder. Here are some ways that you, the listener, can help.
1. Don’t make remarks like: “Slow down,” “Take a breath,” or “Relax.” Such simplistic advice can be felt as demeaning and is not helpful.
2. Let the person know by your manner that you are listening to what he or she says — not how they say it.
3. Maintain natural eye contact and wait patiently and naturally until the person is finished.
4. You may be tempted to finish sentences or fill in words. Try not to. Use a relatively relaxed rate in your own speech — but not so slow as to sound unnatural. This promotes good communication.
5. Be aware that those who stutter usually have more trouble controlling their speech on the telephone. Please be patient in this situation. If you pick up the phone and hear nothing, be sure it is not a person who stutters trying to start the conversation before you hang up.
6. Speak in an unhurried way — but not so slowly as to sound unnatural. This promotes good communication with everyone.
"Stuttering may look like an easy problem that can be solved with some simple advice, but for many adults, it can be a chronic life-long disorder. Here are some ways that you, the listener, can help.
1. Don’t make remarks like: “Slow down,” “Take a breath,” or “Relax.” Such simplistic advice can be felt as demeaning and is not helpful.
2. Let the person know by your manner that you are listening to what he or she says — not how they say it.
3. Maintain natural eye contact and wait patiently and naturally until the person is finished.
4. You may be tempted to finish sentences or fill in words. Try not to. Use a relatively relaxed rate in your own speech — but not so slow as to sound unnatural. This promotes good communication.
5. Be aware that those who stutter usually have more trouble controlling their speech on the telephone. Please be patient in this situation. If you pick up the phone and hear nothing, be sure it is not a person who stutters trying to start the conversation before you hang up.
6. Speak in an unhurried way — but not so slowly as to sound unnatural. This promotes good communication with everyone.
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