Stuttering is a disorder characterized by the voluntary interruption of speech that usually arises during the first years of life and that can generate great stress in children and later problems with self-esteem, therefore it is important for parents and teachers to know some recommendations that can apply to treat child stuttering and thus prevent the child from withdrawing and frustrated when speaking.
Steps to follow:
- Consulting a specialist is the best idea to start treatment, but it is important to know that different exercises should be practiced both at home and at school and assume some attitudes to obtain positive results, so working together will help the child to overcome this problem without generating major trauma.
- In principle it is important that the boy feels comfortable when speaking so that the process of communicating his ideas is not associated with something negative, we must encourage him to speak slowly and avoid communicating our impatience because he finishes the sentence, completing it for him or doing facial gestures, this will only reinforce the problem and cause discomfort in the little one. In addition, we must speak to him in simple language and if you have to ask him something, do not do it with too many questions together but one at a time to give him time to answer and do not rush.
- Always maintaining a positive environment is important to promote the child’s self-esteem and not create insecurities in him, avoiding teasing about the condition of stuttering is vital at this point.
- Certain breathing exercises are recommended and can be done at home on a daily basis, blowing slowly trying not to exhaust the air and practicing soft whistling are useful to work the muscles that influence speech.
- Physical exercise also helps, running outdoors or an afternoon in the park will promote the release of stress and allow us to share with the child in other environments. Singing together or reciting simple and easy-to-learn poetry are good ideas to reinforce security, since normally during these activities people do not usually stutter.
- Treatment for stuttering will depend on many factors, and only a specialist will be able to guide the parents and the child, but all agree that the earlier the problem is addressed, the better results will be obtained, so if you notice any difficulty or interruption that it becomes habitual in your child’s speech, do not hesitate to consult a doctor or speech therapist.
This article is merely informative, we do not have the power to prescribe any medical treatment or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
Tips
- Talk to teachers and family members so that they know the situation and collaborate in improving it.
- It is important that siblings, cousins and close people avoid making fun of the little one, this can make the problem much worse.
- Always reinforce his self-esteem, highlight his positive qualities and make him feel comfortable being who he is, this will help during treatment and afterwards.
