There is a child named Mao Mao downstairs in my house. Mao Mao is clever and lively, but there is one problem-stuttering.
Last weekend, Mao Mao’s mother said to me with great anxiety: “He is three years old, and his speech is still stammering. Sometimes he repeats a word several times, and I am worried for him!” My father and I reminded him to talk well every day, but it was useless! You see, it seems to be getting worse recently.]
Today, I will give parents with similar situations two issues that they are most concerned about:
[Will it get better in the future] and [What to do now].
Question 1: Can the child grow up well?
In fact, the reason for stuttering is still unclear. About 8% of children have stuttered before, while this proportion only accounts for about 1% of adults. In other words, most children will grow up well.
However, I know that this cannot completely dispel parents’ worries. How do you know if your baby will become that 1%?
Parents can compare the following high-risk factors:
- The child is a boy; Stuttering lasts for more than one year. More than 5 years old; Family history of stuttering/speech disorders; Children have realized that they have stuttering problems and will be anxious or escape. Stuttering has accompanying symptoms (such as blinking, nodding and other body movements); Changes in family or living environment (e.g. Parents divorced, moved, changed kindergartens, etc.); The child’s character is sensitive or excessively pursues perfection.
The specific manifestation of these factors, combined with the actual situation of children’s stuttering, can help therapists to choose appropriate intervention methods for children. However, even the most professional therapists cannot give an absolute answer as to whether a child will definitely improve in the future.
Question 2: how Helps Children Reduce Stuttering?
For most preschool children, the most commonly used method is parents’ [indirect treatment]: parents make some adjustments in parent-child interaction, at the same time record the stuttering situation of children, and therapists regularly follow up and provide further suggestions.
The core of indirect treatment is to encourage parents to create the most comfortable, relaxed and safe interactive environment for their children. See here for specific methods:
1. Control Parents’ Anxiety
If parents are particularly nervous about their children’s stuttering, children will be easily affected, which is not conducive to the improvement of stuttering.
We should pay special attention to the protection of children’s self-esteem and self-confidence, do not discuss this issue with others in front of children, and do not imitate stuttering behavior. In daily life, find more opportunities to encourage and praise children.
Step 2 Avoid too many reminders
Many parents will constantly remind their children: “Think it over again” or “say it again”.
These reminders may have certain short-term effects, but in the long run they will not be of substantial help. On the contrary, they will make children pay more attention and pressure to eat together.
As parents, they should only pay attention to what their children want to express as much as possible, and avoid constantly reminding their children of the problem of speaking.
3. Slow down the pace of speaking and doing things.
I have many friends around me, who speak fast and heavily. In the face of stuttering children, parents should speak as softly as possible and speak every word clearly. Speeding too fast will increase the pressure on children.
At the same time, the pace of daily life can also be slowed down appropriately. Know that you are very busy with your work, but don’t be furious every day. Try to be less [sudden] and [disorderly] and more routine and routine.
4. Give children more response time to avoid interruption.
When the child speaks, don’t rush to answer the message. You should smile, look at the child quietly and wait patiently for him/her to finish. Interrupting at this time will add pressure to the child and make them feel [I have to speak out quickly, or my parents will rob the message! ].
If conditions permit, when communicating with the child, you can squat down and look at the child so that the child can feel more care and attention from his parents.
5. Reduce Children’s Perfectionism Tendency
Many stuttering children tend to be perfectionist, which will make them pay more and more attention to their own eating and increase the risk of persistent stuttering.
Parents can encourage their children to accept mistakes through their own demonstrations. For example, when a mobile phone falls to the ground, they can pick it up in no hurry and then say, “It doesn’t matter if it falls, it won’t break] (if it does, you can bleed silently in your heart …).
6. Don’t force your child to speak
Forcing children to speak, perform, recite poems and say hello (except for children’s own likes) will increase the pressure on children to speak.
Here I have given you a total of 6 suggestions. If you can’t do it all right away, you can try 1-2 first, wait until your parents and children have gradually mastered it, and then proceed to the third and fourth, otherwise you may be too quick to reach it.
Finally, I would also like to remind you that when you find your child stuttering, you can try to adjust the way you interact in person and take your child to professional organizations in time.
Even if your child is really one percent that lasts until adulthood, after professional targeted treatment, the symptoms can still be alleviated and the impact of stuttering on life can be minimized.