Stop Stuttering

As an educator at a primary school, at times, I had students in my classroom who stuttered. My heart went out to them and so I made it a point to try to provide help with stuttering and make their school experience as positive as possible. Here are some of the things I did and what you as a parent can do to help.

One of the very first things I would do was to have a meeting with the parents to discuss their child’s stuttering problem. The meeting had two distinct benefits.

It gave me insight into the problem from his parents, the two people who knew him best, along with a better understanding of their child. I feel the meeting was also helpful for the parents because I was able to let them know that I was going to be supportive of their child and that I really wanted to help.

Now if your child’s teacher does not initiate a meeting with you it doesn’t mean they don’t care. Some teachers like to get to know their students before contacting parents. But in a case like this, meeting sooner rather than later may be better for your child. So, soon after the school year begins, call and request a meeting.

Be sure you share whatever information you already have. This is a partnership and knowing what works and what doesn’t can help both parties. Teachers will never find a better source of information than the parents of a youngster who stutters.

For instance, you may be surprised to learn that many younger children who stutter, still like to take part in class discussions and answer questions. They don’t feel stressed or embarrassed about it.

A teacher will often try to avoid calling attention to a child who stutters so they may rarely call on them to answer during class. But if you know that your child likes to take part and doesn’t feel pressured, by all means let the teacher know.

It was lucky that my school district hires speech and language personnel. They are there to work with students who are referred by the teaching staff. Unfortunately this service is not available in all districts. So be sure that you get in touch with your school to see if there are speech services offered. If there are, inquire as to how to get a referral going.

Because I always made it a point to schedule a meeting with parents early in the school year, I could start a referral quickly if the child wasn’t already involved in a speech program outside of the school. If the child was in a speech program in the community, I got permission from the parents to request recommendations and reports from the outside agency.

One important point is that often any community based service is offered only until a child enters school. Then it’s up to the school to maintain the service. However, inclusion at the school level may not be automatic, so you may want to follow-up with this at your child’s school.

When your child begins to work with speech personnel, there are going to be activities you can do at home to help. These activities are designed to reinforce what the therapist is focusing on during their sessions. For example, if your child is being taught how to breathe properly when they speak, they will need lots of practice before this change becomes automatic.

This type of thing requires a lot of practice before it becomes automatic. That’s where you come in. It’s vitally important for you to work on these follow-up activities with your child because sessions at school will be limited.

If your child stutters, know that there is help with stuttering available at the school level. The best case scenario is when teachers and parents work together as a team to give the child encouragement and support.

Find out about the latest stuttering therapy treatments and techniques and take steps to stop your stuttering. Visit http://www.cureforstuttering.org/ for up to date information.

categories: stuttering,stop stuttering,help with stuttering,how to stop stuttering,language disorder,speech problem,speaking,communication disorder,self help,speech therapy,childrens’ issues,disorders,family concerns

Stuttering childrens' issues, communication disorder, Disorders, help with stuttering, how to stop stuttering, language disorder, self help, Speaking, speech problem, speech therapy, stop stuttering, Stuttering

If you have a stuttering problem, finding out how to stop stuttering can be a life changing experience. Because this speech disorder affects so many adults and children, in the past few years, there has been a push to discover new information. Much of this information has come from speech therapists and researchers, but many practical suggestions have been offered by those who have managed to stop stuttering. Here are 2 more of their best tips.

Tip #1 - Visualize difficult words in your mind.

For any stutterer, there are words that give them a lot of trouble whenever they try to say them. They’re different for every stutterer. But whether they’re short or long, they are always approached with some apprehension on the part of the stutterer.

One effective way to approach each of these words is to visualize the tricky word in your mind. Examine it one letter at a time. After you do that, then picture yourself saying this word confidently and correctly. Once you’ve had success in your mind, try it out loud. Over time, this will help take the power away from that word.

It’s a good idea to practice this technique at home so you can quickly run through a difficult word in your mind before saying it out loud during a conversation.

Tip #2 - Practice saying the beginning sounds of difficult words.

The very beginning of a word or sentence is often the hardest part for a stutterer. If you can get past that, you are often okay.

A good strategy is to spend time at home learning to break words into parts. Practice saying each part of a word separately until it flows easily for you, and then put an entire word together.

Once you have a word mastered, do the same thing for a short, two or three word sentence. The more you practice the better this will work because you’ll become more confident in how a word should sound. In time, this will become automatic instead of something you have to work at. When that happens, you’ll notice that you speak more fluently and stutter less.

Never give up hope that you will find out how to stop stuttering. In fact, here are two more tips for you to try. These have worked for others.

Is it really possible to stop stuttering? You’ll be encouraged to learn that in most cases the answer is yes. Visit http://www.cureforstuttering.org/ for more information.

Stuttering childrens' issues, communication disorder, Disorders, family concerns, how to stop stuttering, language disorder, self help, Speaking, speech problem, speech therapy, stop stuttering, Stuttering, stuttering help

If you stutter or your child stutters, you know all you want to do is find a way to stop the stutter. And yes, it really is possible. These how to stop stuttering tips have been compiled from suggestions made by researchers, speech therapists, and even former stutterers. Here are 3 of the best ones.

Tip #1 - A stutterer must be encouraged not to speak too fast.

A stutterer seems to speak very slowly. But they are actually trying to talk as fast as they can. They just want to get the words out before they stutter. Unfortunately their efforts backfire and actually cause them to stutter more.

When a person stutters, the words get dragged out, so it takes them a long time to finish what they’re trying to say.

But it won’t work to tell a stutterer to slow down. That just creates more anxiety. Instead we can model the right pace by talking in a slow, relaxed way. By slowing down the rate of speech, over time, stuttering can be reduced or even eliminated.

Tip #2 - Read aloud.

An interesting fact is that stutterers don’t usually stutter when they are reading. So use this to your advantage if you stutter. Read out loud at a steady pace. Over time this can help you stop stuttering when you are talking.

Why does it work? It’s because when you read, you don’t have to think about what you are going to say. So you learn to internalize the pace you can comfortably speak at without stuttering. Do it often enough and you can train your brain to accept this pace as the right one. This will lead to a much smoother delivery of words when you are talking.

Tip #3 - Learn to breathe properly.

Stutterers don’t breathe properly when they speak. They often inhale when starting to talk when they should be exhaling.

To train yourself to breathe properly, take a deep breath before you try to speak. Then exhale as you speak.

It’ll take practice for this to become automatic. But once it does, you’ll right away feel more relaxed when you talk. The more relaxed a person who stutters is, the less they tend to stutter. Learning to regulate your breathing is one of the best ways to stop stuttering.

If you stutter, know that you don’t have to suffer forever. Today, stuttering can be overcome. Start by using these tips to help you figure out how to stop stuttering.

Find out about the latest stuttering therapy techniques and treatments and take steps to stop your stuttering. Visit http://www.cureforstuttering.org/ to get the facts.

Stuttering childrens' issues, communication disorder, Disorders, family concerns, how to stop stuttering, language disorder, self help, Speaking, speech problem, speech therapy, stop stuttering, Stuttering, stuttering help

If your child stutters, there are a number of things you can do so they feel better about themselves. Read on to discover the top 7 ways to help your stuttering child.

1. Be sure to speak in a slow relaxed manner, pausing often when you talk. When having a conversation with your child, don’t respond right away after he finishes speaking. Instead wait a few seconds before you talk. By speaking in an unhurried manner, you are modeling the right pace.

2. Show that you’re listening to whatever your child is saying, not how they are saying it. Be careful that your body language and facial expressions don’t convey a message that you’re impatient when he stutters.

If you show impatience, whether you intend to or not, your child will pick up on it and feel pressured. For example, don’t glance at your watch or tap your fingers. And be sure to maintain eye contact so he knows you are truly listening.

3. Don’t interrupt the flow of what your son is trying to say by asking too many questions or making too many comments. Let him talk freely about whatever he wants to. If he is talking about what he chooses, chances are he will be more willing to talk at greater length than if he is just answering your questions. The more he is able to talk in a non pressure situation, the better.

4. Every family member, whether adult or child, is entitled to be treated with respect. One way to show that respect is to give everyone a chance to talk without fear of being cut off before they finish. If everyone who talks is constantly being interrupted or hurried, your stuttering child is getting a negative message that what they have to say is not worth hearing. You can help instill confidence with respect.

5. Your child needs to know that you are on her side. So if she tells you that she is getting teased at school because she stutters, arrange to talk to her teacher. You may also want to help her come up with a few ideas of how she can deal with teasing on her own.

6. Always be a good listener. Allow him to talk without completing his sentences, filling in words, or making corrections for words that aren’t said properly. Every conversation should not become a lesson in speaking.

7. Above all else, make sure you are letting your child know that you love her for who she is rather than how she talks. She’ll no doubt feel down on herself at times. Don’t downplay these feelings, but do explain that everyone has difficulty with something, sometimes. If you can, talk about a problem you had when you were growing up.

These are just a few ways that you can help your stuttering child. For more ideas , visit www.cureforstuttering.org and learn more about how to get help for a stuttering child.

Stuttering childrens' issues, communication disorder, Disorders, family concerns, home and family, language disorder, School, self help, Speaking, speech problem, speech therapy, Stuttering, stuttering help

Vocal cord disorders can interfere with your day-to-day activities. Losing your voice is never pleasant, especially if you are in a profession where you are required to speak often. Many vocal cord disorders can lead to a voice loss if they are not treated soon enough. The typical recommendation is to look for care from a doctor if you experience vocal cord symptoms for more than two weeks. For some individuals, symptoms may be so severe that immediate medical care is needed.

There are many forms of vocal cord disorders. Proper treatment is determined based on the type of vocal disorder. Most often, a doctor will be able to determine what disorder you have through an initial examinations. Once you have a diagnosis, a treatment program can be started.

Before a doctor can help you, though, you have to recognize that something is wrong that requires medical attention. Many people have had some type of vocal cord disorder. Usually people may have a case of losing their voice after a day spent yelling or overusing their voice. Typically such an issue clears up in a day or two on its own. It is only when symptoms continue for days that you should really be concerned and seek help.

Symptoms vary based on the type of disorder you have. Many disorders cause changes in the voice. The voice may become airy or raspy. You may sound hoarse or even lose your voice completely. Disorders can also change the pitch of the voice, usually lowering the pitch.

Some disorders cause pain in the neck or when speaking. You may also notice your voice losing some strength over time. You may also find yourself clearing your throat more frequently. Some disorders can also cause a fever or general feeling of sickness.

More serious disorders cause even more severe vocal cord symptoms. There is a potential for trouble breathing, an inability to swallow, or extreme discomfort when trying to talk, breathe or swallow. These severe vocal cord symptoms require immediate medical attention. You should not wait to see a doctor as they may lead to more serious health issues and, if untreated, could have very dangerous effects.

Many times vocal cord symptoms come about suddenly, but they can also happen over time. You can gradually notice a change in your voice. It may start to become hoarse over a matter of days. In some cases you may have no idea what caused the disorder. However, if you can link the problem to an incident you should tell the doctor as that will be useful in the course of your treatment.

Most vocal cord disorders are treatable. Many people deem issues with their vocal cords as being minor. However, especially if you have a severe vocal cord disorder you definitely must seek attention. Generally, though, you should get treatment even if you think it is minor because a doctor can help you clear up the problem swiftly and avoid long-term issues.

Speech Disorders autism disorder, language disorder, speech disorder, Speech Disorders, vocal disorder, vocal problems, vocal treatment, voice disorder