Is My Child Stuttering?
If your child stutters, you may hear:
Many preschool-aged children go through a phase of disfluency as they are developing and learning to talk. Some children do stop stuttering on their own. However, we cannot definitively know who will continue stuttering and who will not. A variety of risk factors help predict whether a child may be at risk for persistent stuttering.
If your child has been stuttering for more than 6 months, it may be time to visit a speech-language pathologist. An evaluation will shed light on whether your child’s disfluencies are stuttering-like in nature, whether s/he is at risk for persistent stuttering, and whether there is a need for treatment at this time.
- Prolongations of sounds (lllllike this)
- Repetitions of syllables, words, or phrases (li-li-like this)
- Blocks of airflow and sound (l---ike this).
Many preschool-aged children go through a phase of disfluency as they are developing and learning to talk. Some children do stop stuttering on their own. However, we cannot definitively know who will continue stuttering and who will not. A variety of risk factors help predict whether a child may be at risk for persistent stuttering.
If your child has been stuttering for more than 6 months, it may be time to visit a speech-language pathologist. An evaluation will shed light on whether your child’s disfluencies are stuttering-like in nature, whether s/he is at risk for persistent stuttering, and whether there is a need for treatment at this time.
What Happens At An Evaluation?
An evaluation provides us with information such as: the frequency of stuttering behaviors, how long the stutters last, whether there are signs of frustration or physical tension, how stuttering impacts the child, etc. Family interviews are used to learn more about the child's history and experience. Altogether, the information gathered at the evaluation is used to determine whether a child is exhibiting signs of stuttering, whether the child is at risk for persistent stuttering, and whether treatment is recommended.
Initial evaluations at Wildflower Speech Therapy are intended to be fun and easygoing. Your child's speech will be assessed in a variety of contexts including normal conversation and games. When appropriate, children will be asked questions on how they feel about talking, providing an opportunity to learn more about their emotions and reactions to stuttering.
Initial evaluations at Wildflower Speech Therapy are intended to be fun and easygoing. Your child's speech will be assessed in a variety of contexts including normal conversation and games. When appropriate, children will be asked questions on how they feel about talking, providing an opportunity to learn more about their emotions and reactions to stuttering.
What Can I Expect From Speech Therapy?
His repetition (stuttering) has decreased, speech rate has decreased, and he’s very comfortable talking to anyone. He’s also being aware of how he’s speaking. You are excellent with kids." (Mother of pre-school child)
I’ve been noticing a decreased frequency of disfluencies, which is awesome considering there have been lots of stressors this week. She’s been loving the magic wand and has been very motivated to use it in our speech times. She also loves to catch my disfluencies and makes me wave the wand. She calls herself the bumpy speech fairy...very sweet.” (Mother of school-age child)
How Does Speech Therapy Help? Speech therapy can dramatically decrease the frequency and duration of stuttering for many children. Speech therapy also contributes to increased levels of self-esteem, confidence in communication abilities, and participation in social and speaking situations. The therapeutic relationship and a safe place to speak (and stutter) freely can be very empowering.
What Is The Overall Goal? When it comes down to it, the goal at Wildflower Speech Therapy is to help all children become confident speakers. This is accomplished by helping children understand that they are not alone; that there is nothing wrong or bad about the way they speak; and that there are tools they can use (if they'd like) to help make talking a little easier.
What Is The Overall Goal? When it comes down to it, the goal at Wildflower Speech Therapy is to help all children become confident speakers. This is accomplished by helping children understand that they are not alone; that there is nothing wrong or bad about the way they speak; and that there are tools they can use (if they'd like) to help make talking a little easier.
We worked with Allison to help our 3 year old with stuttering. The customized parent coaching session helped us learn how we can help our daughter in our day to day lives. We have seen so much improvement and are so happy we got the chance to work with Allison. Thank you!!” --K.P., Virtual Parent Coaching Session
Should you address moments of stuttering? Should you modify your own speaking? How can you set your child up for success? Wildflower Speech Therapy would love to guide you through these questions in a one-on-one parent/caregiver consultation and coaching session. You will learn more about stuttering, how to best support your child during moments of disfluency, and how to modify the environment and linguistic input to facilitate smooth speech.
When you schedule a parent coaching session, you receive:
When you schedule a parent coaching session, you receive:
- 1 hour of personalized, one-on-one guidance (via video session)
- Techniques selected based your case history
- Pertinent handouts and documents emailed to you for future reference
- A follow-up by email
Let's Get Started!
Ready to get started? Have a few questions? Contact Wildflower Speech Therapy to schedule a complimentary phone consultation.
Interested in reading more about stuttering? Visit the blog.