Days with more than usual stuttered moments, or worse than usual stuttered moments, tend to happen at some point or another. These times can be stressful for someone dealing with stuttering. Times of sickness, busyness, and tiredness can have an effect on stuttering, though sometimes there seems to be no particular reason.
There are different types of stuttered behaviours that you might notice with your talking:
- Repetitions of sounds (“I want the b-b-b-all.”)
- Repetitions of single syllable words (“I-I-I-I want to go.”)
- Repetitions of syllables (“So-so-so-soldier”)
- Repetitions of entire words (“I want-want-want the ball.”)
- Repetitions of phrases (“I want -I want -I want to go.”)
- Prolongation of sounds (“ssssssssssoldier”)
- Use of “filler words” (“um”, “and then”, “you know”)
Having support to learn stuttering therapy techniques appropriate for you and/or your child is important as you can support each other to use strategies that reduce those stressful moments. Different therapy strategies are used for different ages and stages of development. You can have stuttering therapy to support talking for a 2 year old, 12 year old, 22 year old, or a 62 year old! You can gain some control over stuttering and feel confident that you know what to do on a tough day of stuttering.
Stuttering can have significant emotional effects and cause social anxiety. When you’re having a more than usual stuttering day, you might end up withdrawing and not saying much if it is so hard to get your message out. Therapy for stuttering can help you push through the negative thoughts and feelings, and keep you positive on a tough day.
Stuttering is not what any parent wishes for their child and it can cause anxious feelings in parents too, sometimes more than the child with the stutter. Look after yourself and your own emotional wellbeing. Try not to panic or worry about the future, and stay in the present moment. Therapy for stuttering can help desensitise you to it, and help you accept it.
On a tough day of stuttering, remember the things you already know and the techniques learned in therapy:
- Listen for fluency: it is there…it’s easy to hear the stuttered moments but there will most likely be some words that are fluent.
- Praise fluency: When your child says something without a stutter “that was lovely smooth talking”. You may need to find just one word in a sentence to praise on a tough day.
- Practice: Try taking some time to practice slow, smooth talking (this is a therapy technique that you will need help to learn). This can help remind you and/or your child see that fluency is possible.
- Reduce communication demands: e.g. make comments rather than ask questions, slow your own rate of talking.
- Sing: Talking can be stressful at times so sometimes singing words, or saying words in a sing-song fashion can produce more fluency. Children tend to follow the adult with their communication style so if you are singing, they may well copy too.
- Pause: take a break to let off steam or relax together. Give each other a massage, a wrestle or a cuddle. A nap or early night might help (for everyone)!
Remember you and your child are not alone. There are around 1% of the population who stutter. That is about 47,000 people in New Zealand.
If you live in Hamilton or nearby and have concerns that you or your child are stuttering, please feel free to book a time with me for assessment. Start the journey towards smoother talking and confident communication.