Could a Speech Language Therapist Help?
There are various speech disorders. Stuttering can be considered as such. Although there are no permanent cure yet, there is a person who can help and he or she is known as Speech Language Pathologist (SLP).
SLPs are professionals knowledgeable in the study of human communication, its development and the various disorders associated with it, so that they know how to help their patients. They must pass a licensing exam or a state certification in order to practice their profession. They must also be certified by the ASHA or the American Speech Language Hearing Association. They hold a master’s degree and in the absence of a doctor, a speech assistant can help out.
Preliminary tests are being done before an SLP can start treating a child. Treatment is unique since patients have different cases. What will work to one child may not necessarily be suitable to another. One must remember that stuttering varies depending on the child’s age, gender and type. Treatment should be tailor-fitted. There are times, wherein the SLP will need to use various strategies to treat the disorder.
One of the strategies would be a language intervention activity. Here, the SLP will interact with the child by talking and playing. To stimulate the language development of a child various multimedia forms are being used - books, pictures and musical instruments. When a child encounters difficulty in pronouncing a word, this is when the repetition exercises are most effective.
Sound production or articulation therapy is another strategy. Here, the SLP will teach the child how to pronounce letters and produce the correct sound. The SLP will demonstrate to the child the correct way of moving the tongue in producing certain sounds. Therapy sessions for these strategies can be done with a small group or on a one on one basis.
Other strategies that an SLP can use are the following: trial therapy, vocal control, anxiety reduction technique, airflow therapies, attitudinal therapy, biofeedback methods and rhythmic speech.
If your child is diagnosed with stuttering, the first thing a parent can do is to find a specialist who can help his or her child. One can just check the phone directory or simply ask a referral from their family doctors. There are states that have associations and they have a listing of certified and licensed specialists.
Specialists can only do their best and a vital part of a child’s improvement is mainly caused by supportive parents. There have been studies that prove that children with this speech disorder easily complete the program and have long term results due to having very supportive parents.
Having calm, relaxed and pressure free atmosphere at home can help stimulate the child to speak. Parents are highly encouraged to speak slowly so that the child will be able to learn the word correctly.
The specialist may recommend appropriate activities at home that were mentioned earlier to help ensure continuous progress even outside the clinic. Practice makes permanent.
Although medications are available to treat stuttering, their use is not being encouraged because of the side effects. Devices have also been invented to help treat this disorder.
The advancement in science and technology makes it easier nowadays for people who stutter to get treatment. If you have it, you can empower yourself by seeking professional help through Speech Language Therapists. Educating yourself with the various strategies can help alleviate your condition. Now, if you are a parent then you can do the same thing to you child who has this disorder. Always remember that there is no quick fix for this disorder. There is no perfect cure or treatment. The goal is to reduce the number of repetitions and disruptions when a person who has this disorder is speaking.
There is still so much to discuss about stuttering and we’ve only just begun.