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What is stuttering? Stuttering is a communication disorder characterized by disfluencies or disruptions in speech. These disruptions can be characterized by repetitions of sounds or words, blocks (feeling stuck), prolongations of sounds, feeling of tension or tightness, and difficulty with airflow. Many people also experience accessory characteristics such as eye closure, body movement, and adding excessive filler words (e.g. "um, like"). Stuttering can negatively impact a person's life causing anxiety, avoidance of situations or words, frustration, and decreased self confidence.
How do I know if my child is stuttering or if this is typical?
Children often go through a period of "normal disfluencies" (whole word and syllable repetitions, revisions in speech, and fillers such as "um or uh") when they are young, especially during a period of rapid language development. If you observe tension during speech in the form of prolongations (prolonging a word "cccccat") or blocks (stopping the airflow during speech so no sound comes out) this is a sign of stuttering. In addition, accessory behaviors (eye blinks, fist clenching, etc.), child's awareness of disfluencies, frustration during speech, or pitch rise in voice all indicate true stuttering versus typical disfluencies. When in doubt, contact a speech-language pathologist to discuss your concerns.
How can SSTA help? For younger children, early intervention is an effective way to help overcome stuttering. We provide a variety of treatment options that fit your child and family. These include The Lidcombe Program, Palin Parent-Child Interaction therapy, and other direct and indirect therapy options.
For school-age children and adults, therapy can also be very beneficial. Treatment generally begins with understanding stuttering and feelings, thoughts, and emotions associated with it. Although there is much research on stuttering, there is no known cure at this time. Therapy at SSTA aims to help individuals feel more comfortable during stuttering moments, decreasing stress and tension, while decreasing avoidance and escape behaviors and improving confidence in all communication situations. We believe it is important to look at the whole person, not just the physical speech output.
Resources:
The Stuttering Foundation
FRIENDS -The National Association of Young People Who Stutter
National Stuttering Association (NSA)
Phoenix NSA Family Chapter
StutterTalk Podcast
How do I know if my child is stuttering or if this is typical?
Children often go through a period of "normal disfluencies" (whole word and syllable repetitions, revisions in speech, and fillers such as "um or uh") when they are young, especially during a period of rapid language development. If you observe tension during speech in the form of prolongations (prolonging a word "cccccat") or blocks (stopping the airflow during speech so no sound comes out) this is a sign of stuttering. In addition, accessory behaviors (eye blinks, fist clenching, etc.), child's awareness of disfluencies, frustration during speech, or pitch rise in voice all indicate true stuttering versus typical disfluencies. When in doubt, contact a speech-language pathologist to discuss your concerns.
How can SSTA help? For younger children, early intervention is an effective way to help overcome stuttering. We provide a variety of treatment options that fit your child and family. These include The Lidcombe Program, Palin Parent-Child Interaction therapy, and other direct and indirect therapy options.
For school-age children and adults, therapy can also be very beneficial. Treatment generally begins with understanding stuttering and feelings, thoughts, and emotions associated with it. Although there is much research on stuttering, there is no known cure at this time. Therapy at SSTA aims to help individuals feel more comfortable during stuttering moments, decreasing stress and tension, while decreasing avoidance and escape behaviors and improving confidence in all communication situations. We believe it is important to look at the whole person, not just the physical speech output.
Resources:
The Stuttering Foundation
FRIENDS -The National Association of Young People Who Stutter
National Stuttering Association (NSA)
Phoenix NSA Family Chapter
StutterTalk Podcast
