BASIC
FACTS ABOUT STUTTERING
| Prevalence: | About 1% of school-age population |
| Sex Ratio: | 4 boys for 1 girl on average |
| Familial: | 50% of stutterers have another family member who stutters |
| Onset: | Median = 4 years; range 2-9 yrs; 90% before age of 7 yrs. |
| How Begins: | for about 70% onset is gradual; 30% have sudden onset |
| Temperament: | Slow to adapt; minimally distractible; described as sensitive to change; has strong fears; difficulty separating from parents. |
Things Parents Can Do To Help Child Who Stutters
1. Accept your child
and his speech. Realize that he is doing the best he can, right now.
2. Speak at a normal
or slightly slower rate of speech. Resist the urge to speak rapidly or
rush your speech.
3. Reduce length and
complexity of your sentences, especially when your child is having a
particularly disfluent day.
4. Take two 5-minute
periods each day to practice pausing for about one second before
responding to your child’s questions.
5. Let your child
select the topic of conversation and then after he speaks; rephrase
his remarks to let him know he communicated effectively; for example,
child says, “I like the dog.” Parent says, “Yes, I like the dog
too, he is very friendly.”
6. Spend some time
together each day in enjoyable, nonverbal activities (playing catch,
swimming, just having fun together).
Things Teachers Can Do
|
1. Be accepting of easy stuttering 2.
Be calm & interested in child’s speech 3.
Call on early; accept short answers 4.
Do not allow others to interrupt 5.
Paraphrase what child just said disfluently 6.
Consult with SLP, child, parents, peers 7. Be an advocate for the child |
Six (6) SOURCES for NETWORKING
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