The best stuttering treatment work being done is early intervention for young children who stutter. "The sooner a child receives treatment the shorter the treatment time and the greater the likelihood for lasting gains in fluency," explains Catherine S. Montgomery of the American Institute for Stuttering. "It is cost effective, in both financial and emotional terms. A lifetime of potential shame and debilitation can be prevented." There are a number of resources designed for children as young as pre-k. Even though there is a good chance youngsters will naturally overcome a problem stutter, there are resources that will ensure the child feels excited, rather than frustrated, about learning.
Parent reaction is particularly important in encouraging a child who stutters to speak more fluently. Sometimes it's a knee-jerk reaction to correct people who stutter by interjecting the attempted word as it should be said. Other times, parents aren't sure what to say and authoritatively command their kids to "think before speaking," "focus and try again" or "slow down." Unfortunately, these sentiments of disappointment or alarm can undermine a child's self-confidence and create a flood of negative emotions that accompany the act of communication. In most cases, stuttering and anxiety go hand-in-hand. While younger children may be able to shrug it off, elementary school kids, teenagers and adults develop aversions and deep-seated insecurities associated with language that makes treatment more challenging. Therefore, it's important that parents meet with local community support groups to learn more about childhood stuttering.
Games and puzzles provide exciting opportunities to engage children who stutter. Some of the most popular speech therapy games include: You Are In Control (www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/TherapyWWW/youareincontrol.pdf), Stuttering Word Find(www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/TherapyWWW/stutteringwordfind.htm), Stuttering Awareness Game (www.quia.com/cb/2807.html) and Stuttering Jeopardy (www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/kids/jeopardy.html). Fun computer programs have fared best in studies as far as long-term retention goes. Nearly 75% of children who study independently overcome their stuttering problems without the help of a speech pathologist.
Over at www.speechville.com/diagnosis-destinations/stuttering/books.html, there is a host of links directing parents of children who stutter to books, articles and movies aimed at stuttering treatments. For example, "Ben Has Something To Say" by Laurie Lears and Karen Ritz focuses on kids from 5-9, whereas "Fun With Fluency: Direct Therapy with the Young Child" by Patty Walton and Mary Wallace covers ages 2.5 to 7. For a scientific approach, try "A Handbook On Stuttering" by Oliver Bloodstein, which pledges to be "90% science and 10% therapy." The Mary Marony series by Suzy Kline "portrays a seven-year-old girl who stutters" and finds a loving support network behind her. Taking a little bit of time to confront the speech problem will save a lot of frustration and self-esteem damage in the end.
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