Is your child stuttering? Are they repeating sounds, words or phrases? Are they stretching out words or getting stuck before talking?
“Around 12% of children begin to stutter by 4 years of age. Children who begin to stutter in their preschool years need therapy immediately to prevent its negative impacts and possibility of lifelong stuttering”
If left without treatment your child’s stuttering can get worse or be with them for life. The impact of stuttering on a child’s life is varied however it’s absolutely certain that it will interfere with their ability to communicate. Stuttering can lead to your child feeling embarrassed to speak in front of others, they can become frustrated with it and they may develop social anxiety which significantly affects their ability to interact and build relationships with people. This social anxiety can begin to emerge by just seven years of age.
With the right treatment in the preschool years stuttering can be eliminated. Your child can become an excellent communicator who can confidently answer questions in class, stand up and give a speech and build strong relationships with those around them.
“It’s so important that you get the right treatment for your child. There are specific programs that must be used to treat childhood stuttering. There is NO evidence to back up some of the approaches that are out there.”
So, if you want to get your child’s speech stutter-free here are the two programs that work in the preschool years:
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The Lidcombe Program
This program was developed in Australia and has the strongest evidence supporting its effectiveness. It involves you and your child attending weekly sessions with a qualified Speech Pathologist. These sessions involve training you in how to give your child feedback on the stutter every day at home as well as how to rate the severity of the stutter. You being present and participating in the sessions is essential for success.
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RESTART-DCM
This program was developed in the Netherlands and also had strong evidence supporting it use. It also involves you and your child attending sessions with a qualified Speech Pathologist however the focus of your parent training will be on helping you to reduce the communication demands on your child. As with the Lidcombe Program, your must be present in sessions for the treatment to work.
Do you see the one common element in both programs? It’s the involvement of a parent or carer in the therapy. Without your involvement your child will not become stutter free.
Now with these programs in mind, if your child is stuttering it’s time to get help. Our Speech Pathologists see children who stutter every day. We can do treatment to stop your child stuttering and build confidence in their communication. Simply send us an email info@talkplaygrow.com.au or call us on 9653 9955.
