Stuttering / Dysfluency
A few facts:
How should I speak with my child or a person who stutters?
What is Lidcombe therapy?
A few facts:
- Most children experience stuttering between the ages of 3-5 years as they develop language.
- While you are more likely to stutter if you have a family member stutters, this is not a strictly genetic disorder.
- Four times as many boys stutter, compared with girls.
- ALL people stutter 1-3% of syllables spoken.
- People who stutter are usually fluent when speaking in unison, whispering, or singing.
- If your child's stuttering is sporadic, and does not cause anxiety, it will likely disappear with age.
- People generally stutter less when they are relaxed and rested.
- Some behaviours make it more likely that your child will continue to stutter:
- Stuttering for more than 2 years
- Repeating the first sound of a word more than 10 times (bbbbbbbbbbb but), or repeating the middle consonant (a pppppp le).
- Extending the vowel within a word (I waaaaaaaaaaant to go to the park).
- Adding a physical movement to the stutter such as eye blinking, finger snapping, physical thrust or lurch.
How should I speak with my child or a person who stutters?
- Listen to the content of what your child is saying.
- Maintain eye contact throughout stuttered speech.
- Avoid finishing a person's word or sentence.
- Speak more slowly YOURSELF, and your child will likely match the pace. Do NOT ask your child to slow down.
- Provide activities that don't require speech when stuttering level is high, such as playing lego or puzzles together.
What is Lidcombe therapy?
- Lidcombe therapy is designed to treat stuttering in children.
- It is most effective for children 4-6 years of age.
- Lidcombe relies on verbal contingency, or verbal feedback for stuttered speech. In a nutshell, positive feedback is given for fluent speech, and absence of feedback for stuttered speech, eventually developing to self-corrections. This is done with activities with variable linguistic and cognitive complexity, with the end goal of fluency during natural conversation.
- Lidcombe therapy relies on daily input The S-LP acts as a coach to parents, and parents provide the daily input for the child.
- Research shows that stutter-free speech occurs with a median of 15 clinic visits, with stage two follow-up treatment to follow.
