Stammering

• The term 'stammering' is used in the UK, other countries refer to it as 'stuttering'. They both mean the same thing.
• About 8% of children will stammer at some point. It is common in children between the ages of 2 and a half and 5 years old. It can also start later in life.
• For most children, stammering is temporary, whereas some children will continue to stammer throughout their life. There is no way to tell which children will stop stammering and who will continue.
• There is no link between stammering and intellectual ability.
• Stammering can run in families - about 60% of people who stammer will have another family member who also stammers.
• Stammering is caused by small differences in the brain where speech develops.
• Parents do not cause stammering and it is not caused by anxiety or stress, although these feelings may impact on stammering.

Refer to us for more support when one or more of the following apply:

• Any child over 3 years old where stammering is a concern.
• Child is under 3 years old and has been stammering for over 1 year and / or there is a family history of stammering.
• Child is aware and would like help for their stammer.
• Child has moments of stammering that are associated with lots of tension, effort, and struggle.
• Child is becoming increasingly frustrated, angry, upset, embarrassed and/or anxious.
• Child is experiencing teasing and bullying.
• Child gives up on what they are trying to say, changes or avoids words or avoids certain speaking situations.
• Child's stammer is impacting on their confidence, self-esteem, and ability to take part in a range of speaking situations.
• Child has a stammer and there are concerns about other areas of their speech, language, or communication development.
• High level of parental concern.

Children and young people (0-19 years) who stammer are offered an assessment and advice is provided to parents / carers and settings. We ask parents / carers and significant others to implement the advice at home and at nursery / school so that we are working together in supporting a child's communication.

We work with the whole family to increase their understanding and knowledge of stammering and give them the tools they need to support their child's communication in everyday conversations and situations. As part of every child or young person's care, we ask parents / carers to attend one of our stammering training sessions to learn more about stammering and the important role they play in supporting their child's communication.

Whilst there are no cures or quick fixes for stammering, the Speech and Language Therapy Service provides a range of therapy approaches for children who stammer and their families. Therapy offered is tailored to an individual child's needs and will be discussed with the child and their family at assessment.

Our aims of therapy are to:

• Minimise the impact stammering is having on the child or young person.
• Build confidence and self esteem.
• Help the child or young person to become a confident communicator.
• Help others to implement strategies and make changes in the environment to support confident communication.
• Help make speaking easier and less effortful (if the child or young person wishes to).

Where it is appropriate, we work with the child or young person on reducing avoidances and associated negative feelings and emotions and help them to accept and feel okay about their stammer.

The service has a specialist stammering team, who work with children and young people between the ages of 7-19 years old who have a stammer. We offer 1:1 specialist assessment and advice and provide a range of therapy approaches, tailored to an individual child's needs. Therapy is offered as 1:1 sessions and / or group therapy. We run intensive therapy groups for 7-9 year olds, 9-12 year olds and Teenagers. The groups provide an opportunity to meet other children who stammer, to share experiences, to build confidence and reduce feelings of isolation. We also deliver training to parents / carers, staff in education settings and to Speech and Language Therapists within our department.

Pausing and slowing down

Use more pauses in your own speech and use a slow relaxed style of speaking when talking to the child. Give yourself extra 'thinking time' before you answer. This will help to reduce the pace of the conversation and the feeling of needing to rush and will provide a good model for speed of talking.

 

Wait and give your child time

Give your child plenty of time to respond to help them to plan and process what to say

• Wait and let your child finish their sentences. Finishing off sentences is unhelpful as it reduces self-confidence and increases frustration; especially if the person chooses words different from those intended by the stammering child.
• Be mindful that your own body language is not signalling for your child to rush.
• Avoid interrupting your child or helping them to say a word.
• Avoid making suggestions of things they could do to change their speech (i.e. don't say 'stop, slow down, take a breath'). If interrupted, your child may lose their train of thought or feel like their speech is being corrected.

 

Keep eye contact

Children often lose eye contact when stammering. It's helpful if you don't look away but give the same eye contact as you would if speaking to a child who is not stammering. This shows that you are listening to what they are saying rather than how they are saying it.

 

Encourage turn taking

Encourage everyone in the family to have a turn similar in length.

• You could use an object, for example, at the dinner table, to indicate someone's turn. When you have the object you can take your turn at speaking and others need to listen and wait until you have finished before they speak and hold the object.
• Take time to think and speak.
• Listen carefully to each other.
• Allow others to finish their point. Be patient.
• Respect opinions.

 

Reducing questions

Questions often demand an immediate response - this can increase pressure and demands on a child's language skills and sometimes leads to more stammering

Reduce the number of questions you ask by asking one question at a time.

Give your child plenty of time to answer.

Make comments instead of asking a question ('the cat is sleeping on the wall' instead of 'where is the cat?'; 'I had a sandwich for my lunch' instead of 'what did you have for lunch today?')

 

One to one special time

Have 5 to 10 minutes of one to one time with your child every day, where there aren't any distractions and there is no competing for attention with other family members.

• Do something together that your child enjoys, look at a book together, talk about your day, play a game.
• Give your child your full listening and undivided attention.
• Try to spend one to one time with siblings as well.

 

Talking about stammering

• Give the message that it is okay to stammer. It's important that children feel ok about stammering and do not view it as something negative or something they shouldn't do as this may lead to more stammering - feeling pressure to be fluent can increase negative feelings about stammering.
• Try and remain calm and relaxed about stammering; it is normal to feel anxious or worried about it but try to avoid showing that anxiety to the child. If the child can see that the stammer isn't a problem for you, it is less likely to become a problem for them.
• It is okay to use the word 'stammering'.
• If your child is aware of their stammer, you could ask them what helps with their talking or if there is anything they would like you to do differently when they stammer.
• If your child is not aware of their stammer it is up to you if you want to talk about it - if you do, it won't make it harder for your child to talk.
• If your child is showing frustration or indicating that talking is difficult then try acknowledging it in a sensitive and relaxed way (for example, 'that was a bit tricky, well done for carrying on', 'some words are hard to get out - it's okay, I'm listening').