Stuttering which is also known as stammering is a speech disorder where a person’s speech is disrupted by repetition of words, prolongation of syllables and silent pauses which are involuntary and the speaker doesn't control. Many children go through a period of stuttering between the ages of 2 and 5 years old.
The first signs of stuttering occur around the ages of 18 to 24 months where the child is just starting to speak. It is during this stage that there is a sudden burst of vocabulary and children find it difficult to express their thoughts as fast as they think them.
As parents, hearing your child stutter can be quite disconcerting. In this early stage it is best to be patient and help your child along with his/her speech. Ask them to slow down, think carefully and edge them along with what they are trying to say. In most cases stuttering occurs because their brains are working faster than their mouths are able to say what they think.
Usually by the age of five, when the child’s vocabulary has grown, his/her stuttering issues will have been resolved, if it does continue, you will need to seek expert advice in speech therapy for your child.
What causes stuttering?
Obviously some children do not suffer from stuttering, so why some and not others, you ask. According to the experts the following are some explanations:
Almost 60% of the times, children who stutter have a family member who has also been a stutterer, so genetics do play a part.
It might be due to delayed developmental issues, not every child develops according to the pre designed guidelines, and some will develop according to their own time line.
Differences in the brain's processing of language can be another reason. People who stutter process language in different areas of the brain. And there’s a problem with the way the brain’s messages interact with the muscles and body parts needed for speaking.
How to cope
with a stutter?
Stuttering before the age of five usually clears itself without any assistance. Children might stutter or stammer for a few days or weeks and the matter resolves itself. The important factor to remember is, in the early stages, not to make a mountain out of a molehill.
Yes your child might stutter but don’t convey to him or her that they are possibly inflicted with some horrible ailment. Do not make them feel inadequate, there is no need for a big song or dance on your part. This accomplishes nothing.
The best way to approach it is calmly and hopefully the following guidelines will be helpful:
1 - Do not have distractions like the T.V on; and perhaps use mealtimes to have family conversations instead.
2- Do not always correct your child by asking him/her to slow down, think before he/she speaks etc. This only makes them more nervous, according to the experts. Let them take their own time.
3 - Try and have a calm atmosphere in the house, over-excited children with a stutter will be very hard to deal with.
4- If during a conversation the stuttering becomes bad, stop the conversation, have some quiet time and then come back to it. Do not push your child through a difficult period, it is best
when he/she is more calm.
These are just some of the suggestions to deal with in this phase in your child’s life. Remember, if your child is still small it is still a phase and will probably clear up in a few weeks. If you find it persisting as they get older and it is accompanied by hand movements then it is best to seek the help of a professional to guide your child through it.
By Mayuri Jayasinghe
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