Stuttering/Stammering - Coping and Support for Children-Do’s and Don’ts
The following tips can help parents and elders deal with children who stutter and make them feel less conscious about their stuttering:-
Do’s
- Create a relaxed home atmosphere and encourage your child to speak freely
- Maintain eye contact when the child speaks and listen to the child attentively
- Speak slowly to the stuttering child. The child will try and imitate you and this will help decrease stuttering
- Encourage slow speech and allow the child plenty of time to talk
- Set aside a special time when you can give your wholesome attention to the child
- At meal times try to draw the child into a conversation
- Take turns to talk. Encourage each person, young or old, to be a good listener and to take turns to talk
- Wait for the child to complete what he or she is trying to say
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Don’ts
Stress and undue pressure can increase
- Asking many questions
- Interrupting when the child stutters
- Filling in words or completing sentences when the child is trying to communicate
- Instructing the child to start again when stuttering in mid-sentence or insisting the child repeat stuttered words
- Prodding the child to speak in front of a group of people to overcome shyness—the stuttering will become worse
- Correcting the child’s speech with constant instructions like, “take a deep breath,” “relax, not so fast” or “slow down”
- Constantly reminding the child to think before speaking
- Punishing the child for stuttering or drawing attention to the child’s stuttering
- Considering the child’s stuttering as an ailment and discussing it with friends and relatives in the child’s presence
