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Early Childhood Development

Childhood Stuttering, What It Is and What to Do About It

April 1, 2022

Childhood Stuttering, What It Is and What to Do About It
Therapist working with child

Stuttering is a speech problem that interrupts the flow of speech. While doctors don’t know exactly what causes stuttering in children, they believe it can be passed down from generation to generation. It can also be brought on by strong emotions such as fear or surprise, or it can be caused by another speech or language disorder. Stuttering can sometimes make it hard to communicate.

Stuttering can be a normal part of learning to use words, and most children grow out of it as they get more comfortable with their vocabulary and learn the rules of language. However, if it lasts for more than six months, you should ask your child’s doctor about it. Your pediatrician can provide recommendations for testing and speech therapy if needed.

Types of Stuttering

Developmental stutter is the most common. It begins at an early age and sometimes happens when a child is delayed and is having trouble making a connection between what they want to say and how to say it.

Neurogenic (nervous system) stutter happens because of brain trauma. This can be a brain injury due to an accident or something like a stroke. When brain trauma happens, the brain has trouble sending signals to the muscles and nerves that are needed to communicate.

Psychogenic (emotional conflict or stress) stutter is caused by emotional trauma or by thinking and reasoning problems in a child.

What Are the Symptoms of Stuttering in Children?

Every child is different and may have stuttering that happens along with normal development of speech and language habits. Symptoms can include:

  • Slowed speech with pauses
  • Stopped or blocked speech — when they try to speak but nothing comes out
  • Nervous talking, being out of breath, fast blinking, trembling or shaking
  • Repeating syllables, words, or sounds, for example, “H-h-h-hello”
  • Using “um” or “like” a lot while speaking
  • Increased stuttering when tired, emotional, or stressed

Possible Complications of Stuttering in Children

Children who are aware of their stutter are often worried about what others think of them. When they are worried about how people will treat them, they may not participate in activities or classes as much as other children. This can lead to poor performance in school. Children with a stutter can have lower self-esteem and social awkwardness as well.

How Parents Can Help

Patience is key. Give your child time to talk — don’t interrupt them or tell them to slow down. Teach your child by modeling better speech habits, such as:

  • Slowing your own speech
  • Pausing between sentences and speaking in a relaxed way
  • Using techniques to reduce pressure in situations where your child must speak
  • Rephrasing questions as comments

The best thing to do is talk about it with your child if they are aware of their stuttering. Let them know it is okay that they speak differently. If your child is not aware of it, there is no need to point it out and make them worry about it until you feel it is the right time to get professional help for them.

Be sure to encourage your child to talk to you and pay attention to them while they speak, too. Additionally, talk to your child’s teachers and other adults in their lives about your child’s situation.

Treatment for Stuttering

Early treatment is important to reduce or eliminate stuttering in children. After age 7, it becomes more about managing the stuttering than eliminating it:

  • Direct treatment is when a speech-language pathologist works with your child, alone or in small groups. During this time, your child is taught strategies for easing into words and reducing tension during a stuttering episode. Your child will learn to become more aware of the difference between smooth and bumpy or stuttered speech.
  • Indirect treatment is when a speech-language pathologist works with caregivers to modify their speech to model to their children. This is a very effective approach for the reduction of stuttering.

If you think your child is having speech difficulties, don’t be afraid to ask your pediatrician. Before your appointment, write down questions you want to ask and symptoms you have noticed in your child’s verbal habits. Also, note any medications that your child is taking, including vitamins, as well as any allergies they have.

While at your appointment, write things down or ask for written information sheets. There can be a lot of information all at once, and it is ok to ask for things to be repeated so that you can make note of them.

Enroll Today at TIA!

Filed Under: Informative Tagged With: Early Childhood Development, parenting advice

TIA Senior Stories – Rubina and Monique

January 27, 2018

TIA Senior StoriesThis is a series of TIA Senior Stories about graduates of the school.

Rubina and Monique are good friends and graduates of TIA who are attending Grand Canyon University now. Both girls started businesses while in TIA’s high school business program and they would both like to be teachers after they graduate college.

About Rubina

Rubina Herrera was enrolled at TIA from kindergarten through 12th grade. TIA was like a family to her as she’s been with many of the same classmates for years. She loved the small classrooms and how the teachers cared about the students. She felt that the teachers really wanted everyone to succeed and pushed them to make sure it happened. Rubina has also been interested in modeling since she was little. She attended, and graduated from, John Casablancas modeling school in Scottsdale, Arizona. For her project in the high school business program, she created a business called Today’s Model, an agency for those people that don’t meet the actual modeling height but would love to express themselves in modeling anyway.

Rubina is currently a sophomore at Grand Canyon University. After she graduates, she would like to teach at TIA. She will also continue running her modeling agency.

About Monique

Monique Canez started attending TIA in the third grade.  She met and became good friends with Rubina her first year at TIA. Now she also attends Grand Canyon University, majoring in Early Childhood Development. Even though the girls have different majors they find time to hang out with each other every day, whether it’s to study, go to the bowling alley, see a basketball game, or get something to eat. When she graduates she wants to work at a preschool or daycare. She is hoping that TIA will have a preschool by then as she would like to work there if a job is available.

While Monique was studying psychology in high school, she learned about a hormone called oxytocin that is released in your body when you touch someone (or a pet) that you love. Oxytocin makes you feel happy. Her pets have helped her relieve stress over the years because the pets aren’t judgmental and are always happy to see her. So Monique created a business called Pet Touch Release for her project in the high school business program. She decided to help others by bringing pets to them so they could have the same happy feeling of unconditional love from an animal. The pet therapy helps others forget about what is stressing them in their daily lives. 

Rubina and Monique both feel that becoming teachers in the future and educating other students would be an honor. TIA has two more senior success stories!

 

Enroll Today at TIA

Filed Under: Senior Stories Tagged With: Early Childhood Development, Grand Canyon University, TIA high school Business Program

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