Many parents come in asking if I can offer any tips to help lessen their child’s stuttering as we are starting speech therapy. First and foremost, please refrain from suggesting to “slow down” or ‘take a breath”. These are not helpful at all. The reason for that is that you’re signaling to the child that there is something wrong with the way he/she speaks. We do not want them to feel this way by any means! Secondly, try to listen to the message that they are relaying instead of focusing on the stuttering behavior. When the child feels that they are being heard, regardless of their repetitions/speech blocks, they build that communication confidence to want to speak, despite it all. It is very important not to interrupt their flow of speech or to finish their words for them, even though you feel that might be helpful. The words WILL come out eventually so let the child be one to “own them” by saying them, themselves. Routine is key, and so is stuttering therapy, especially when they are young. We are here to help!
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