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Prevent Stuttering — Tips & Tricks to Help Combat Stuttering (Kindle Edition)

September 16th, 2009

Prevent Stuttering -- Tips & Tricks to Help Combat Stuttering

Are You Suffering From Social Withdrawal?Do People Shun Or Ostracize You Because You Have A Hard Time Getting Some Of Your Words Out?Or Does Your Child Get Teased At School Because They Stutter And Can’t Speak Like Everyone Else?If you have answered yes to any of the above, then you are in the tiny percentage of people that stutter.Stuttering is a speech disorder in where there is a disruption or interruption of a normal speech flow. When people speak, they have to force some of their words out because the flow is blocked or broken. They end up looking weird because when they stutter, they make weird looking facial expressions or are constantly blinking their eyes. When they have to force what they have to say out of their m (more…)

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How Parents Can Help Stuttering Children

March 2nd, 2009

Parents are the most influential people in a child’s life. They are accountable for their child’s life. Habits and values are instilled at a very young age. The experiences that a child goes through in childhood with his or her parents mold his or her character. It is vital for parents to rear a healthy child even with stuttering issues.

Tips for Parents

It is very important for parents to realize the serious repercussions of the emotional traumas that their children are dealing. They must work quickly and must not take things for granted. Remember that having emotionally and mentally healthy kids are parents’ major accomplishments. Here are some valuable tips that parents can definitely use in helping their kids grapple with their condition:

1. Educate your child on the real meaning of his or her condition. Explain to him or her in the most simple and understandable manner what causes stuttering. Present to them the facts in the most scientific way possible. Make them understand that it’s a speech impediment that occurs to millions of people. Make them realize that their condition can improve in time with proper therapy and practice. In this manner, the child will have an easy task of self acceptance. That it’s not the end of the world. That there is hope and he or she must just keep a positive outlook in life.

2. Maintain a positive outlook in life. Make sure you are consistently practicing positive reinforcements in your child. Kids are normally happy individuals but there are outside forces that can distract them. They can be easily consumed with the negativity that they hear from other kids. Once they allow these negativities to consume their existence it is a spiral case to self pity and depression. If your child is in this state, it will be very difficult for a parent to pull him or her out in this state of hopelessness.

Parents must constantly instill in their child that there nothing to be ashamed of if he or she stutters. Millions experience this speech impediment. Educate your child and the acceptance of his or her condition will be faster and easier. The child will be able to cope with the harsh reality of bullying and teasing. The child will be confident in knowing that there is more to life than sulking in depression.

3. Be truthful to your child’s condition. A parent should stress on what his or her child can do to improve his or her condition. This condition is not an embarrassing one that will destroy his or her future. There is no need to feel inferior. The parent should instill in the child that he or she is with him or her every step of the way.

4. Focus on your child’s strengths. Learn his or her talents and special abilities. Stuttering is just one of those hurdles your child has to go through in life. Encourage your child to socialize and observe the good social skills he or she has in social contacts. Instill in your child the importance of overcoming this speech impediment and that he or she can still do more productive things and triumph over this situation.

5. Give your full support to your child. Parents should be the best support group a child can have with a stuttering condition. A child might have this speech disorder but he or she can still live a full and healthy life. Let your child know that he or she is loved unconditionally. Let your child realize that he or she is meant for greater things.

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How to Overcome Stuttering

March 1st, 2009

It is very important to know that stuttering is a speech disorder not a disease. There are no exact causes of its occurrence. It is good to know that a number of famous personalities are stutterers or have once stuttered. Stuttering can occur in childhood and in other cases, in the adult stage of life. In this case, what can an adult do to overcome this disorder?

If a child suffers from this disorder, it is permissible that the parents are the ones actively seeking solutions. Now if one is an adult and is just experiencing this disorder, be accountable and do not rely on your parents’ help. You may need to get professional assistance which was not made available years ago. You will have to exhaust all resources possible to improve on your speech abilities.
Now the professional you need to consult is what we call a speech language pathologist. An SLP studied and trained to handle any speech disorder. In looking for this kind of professional, make sure to check if he or she has a certificate from ASHA or American Speech Language Hearing Association and has passed the state licensure exam.  The SLP will conduct diagnostic exams to be able to provide the patient with the appropriate treatment and therapy.
Seeking professional help can be scary. Do not be consumed with fear. Always keep in mind that stuttering is not a disease. It is a speech disorder that can be treated. Keep an open mind and be positive. This is for your own personal development which is always a good thing.

Set realistic goals for yourself if you are still undergoing treatment. Do not expect to be cured overnight. Practice the drills and techniques that will help you overcome if not minimize stuttering. Keep a moderate pace in talking. This will help minimize repetition of words. When panic sets in, remember to breathe properly. This will calm your nerves and facial muscles.

Observe and learn from your drills. One therapy may not be effective to you. If this is the case then you must discuss this concern to your SLP so that he or she can try other drills and therapies that will suit your condition. Be open to other solutions.

Patience is indeed a virtue that is essential to the treatment of this disorder. No pain - No gain. Nothing was ever achieved overnight. You have to sweat it out. Perseverance and determination are your traits for success. Whenever you encounter setbacks use them to motivate yourself. Remember that you have to please yourself first before others.

They say that beauty is within. Stuttering is not something that will take away the beauty that is innate in you. There are other traits that can outweigh this speech disorder. Your determination, perseverance and patience to overcome this flaw are determinants on what is your character is truly made of. You can still be a successful person even when you have it.

We are not perfect beings. In fact, our flaws and deficiencies make us beautiful and unique beings. We have a choice to be happy or sorrowful or even be remorseful to life. We should not take life too seriously. Learn to laugh at your flaws and do not be too hard on yourself. Love yourself! Embrace your flaws!

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Helpful tips on stuttering from stutters

February 28th, 2009

We now live in a fast paced society wherein time is considered money. Mobility is very essential. Being able to adapt easily in the ever changing times is a must. One must learn to deliver his or her messages concisely and in the most convenient manner. Being able to present one’s ideas nowadays is a valuable skill. But what if a person has a speech impediment? Stuttering is one of the most common speech disorders. It affects a number of young children and adults, thus resulting to poor performance in their daily activities at school and at work.

Stutterers need not sulk in a corner and dwell in self pity. There are effective practices that can help improve one’s condition. These best practices come from people who have suffered from stuttering at some point in their young or adult life. There are ways to ameliorate this condition. These things that a stutterer can capitalize on are as follows:

- Sing Away. People who suffer from stuttering should try singing out the words instead of the usual syllabication of words. It should be done in a sing song manner. This is similar to what Broadway artists do in musicales. They converse through singing. Singing is a form of relaxation. If a stutterer sings out the words there is smooth natural flow of words, instead of anxiety driven syllabication of words which usually causes more tension in the facial muscles and jaw. When you sing, you let go of your inhibitions. This is a good technique for stutterers who normally have poor self esteem. Sing your stutter away.

- Visualization is another effective practice for people who stutter. If you cannot image it then it cannot be yours. This is true especially if one cannot organize his or her thoughts. There’s a therapy that will allow a patient to see the correct tongue or mouth placement in forming words. This is similar to this technique except that one must visualize the image in his or her mind before opening his or her mouth to speak. If one can image it perfectly then the anatomical processes will follow naturally. One must always do his or her best to have a clear mental picture of what he or she wants to say or verbalize.

- Breathe properly. Inhale and exhale properly. Learn to take pauses when speaking. There are fast talkers but the goal is not to replicate their manner of speaking. The goal is to be able to express the words and be understood. Learn to speak in a moderate pace. There is no rush here nor do competitions on who can out talk the other person. Breathing relaxes tensed nerves. If you noticed most stutterers feel that they are drowning and gasping for air. Proper breathing will cure this. When faced with a difficult word to pronounce take a good deep breath.

- Practice saying things in your mind. This is similar to visual imaging. This technique is usually referred as aural visualization. One can actually hear the words spoken out smoothly and perfectly. One must practice hearing the words or phrases correctly. Please do not aurally visualize wrong practices such as repetition of syllables in a word. The goal is to hear the right word pronunciation. If one can do this he or she will have at least 90 percent successful rate.

This is similar to learning a new song. One can actually hear the melody in his or her mind - the riffs, the low and high notes. If we translate this in speech it is the peaks and valleys, ups and downs, stresses and inflections in conversational English.

- Learn to Relax. Remove the unnecessary clutter in your system. Stress and anxiety are one of the major causes of stuttering. If you are already suffering from this condition, do your best to destress and have a stress-free environment. You are your worst enemy. So be more kind to yourself. Do not put yourself in stressful situations. Do not pressure yourself. Nobody’s perfect. They say that practice makes perfect, so always keep these tips handy. Relax and enjoy life!

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8 Tips to Help Your Child with Stuttering

February 27th, 2009

A child’s basic necessities in life are provided by their parents. Parenting entails a lot of responsibility and accountability. What happens when a child has a speech disorder like stuttering? In this case, parents are expected to give more than what is expected from them. Love should transcend this challenge and these tips can immensely help those parents experiencing the same concern.

1. Parents should serve as the foundation and pillars of the emotional and moral support of children with stuttering problems. This is where their patience is being tested. They are expected to embrace and improve the current condition of their child. Their support can influence the quick response to therapy or even improvement in their child’s condition.

2. You must learn to create an environment of mutualism - give and take. If somebody talks, the rest listens. This is essential for a stutterer so that he or she can speak freely even if it takes longer as compared to a normal person. This will allow the stutterer to develop self-esteem and respect.

3. Simplify your language. The words or phrases you use in asking questions should be short and simple. This will help your child to express himself or herself freely. Let your child finish his or her sentences before proceeding to your next question. In this manner, anxiety and frustration are being eliminated.

4. Listen well to the messages being conveyed by your child. This will help you understand your child’s thought patterns. Do not be indifferent to your child. Your response should be the same as that of your usual conversation with a normal kid. You do not want to alienate your child. Just let him or her do his or her usual conversational practices.

5. As a parent of a child with speech disorder, do not be in a hurry in exposing your child to activities that will deflate his or her self-esteem. A stage mother or father image is not a good idea to begin with in the real world, there are bullies especially kids who are clueless of this speech disorder. But if your child is eager to do stuff like performing for a big crowd, just let them be and have fun.

6. Empower your other kids by educating them of their sibling’s speech disorder. A child who stutters is in constant need of acceptance and understanding especially from family members. A family founded strongly by love will have healthy kids.

7. Seek the assistance of certified and licensed Speech Language Pathologists. There are various drills and therapies that can help improve and alleviate your child’s stuttering condition. There is no known cure yet and reinforcing these proven therapies can greatly improve your child’s well being.

8. Lastly, love your child with no ifs or buts. Unconditional love conquers all forms of speech disorders. A child filled with love is healthy. Combine this love with the appropriate medical assistance and support network; your child’s situation will immensely improve quickly as your child grows older.

These may be 8 simple tips but they do not guarantee that practicing them religiously is going to be that easy. Love, acceptance, patience, support group, medical attention and a whole lot more are the major keys in accomplishing your goal in improving your child’s condition and removing their stuttering problem.

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