The way you speak to your child can have an impact on his speech and stuttering behavior. Children who stutter tend to stutter more in stressful speaking situations or when high speaking demands are placed on them. Parents can decrease the communication demands placed on their child by modifying the way they speak to them.
Strategies include:
- Speak slowly
- Use a soft voice
- Pause frequently in conversation
- Use simple vocabulary and grammar
- Avoid asking lots of questions
- Be patient, don’t interrupt your child or finish his sentences for him
- Allow time to pass between speaking turns, don’t rush your child
- Maintain natural eye contact, even in a moment of stuttering
- Avoid criticizing speech or using language like “slow down!” or “You’re taking too fast!”
- Talk openly about stuttering with your child and acknowledge that it can be difficult. You can use language like “sometimes speech is bumpy” or “that was a hard one.”
- Listening Time: Set aside 15 minutes of time each day that your child can speak to you without time pressure. Your role is to listen to your child.
- Home Program: It is very important to set aside time each day to practice the strategies learned during each therapy session. Set up a period of time each day that you will practice with your child!