Many children from a very young age develop stuttering issues as they learn to speak. At this period, every word seems to be new, and the brain processes hundreds of unfamiliar sounds and words. Most of the children don’t face stuttering issues as they grow older, however some do. For those children and adults, it’s best to get the right stuttering speech therapy treatment from the best speech language pathologist to notice a major difference.
So, what is stuttering? How to find out whether your child or someone dear should make a visit for speech therapy jobs Los Angeles? Let’s find out:
What is Stuttering?
Stuttering is a type of interruption or obstacle in producing speech. This involves:
- Disfluencies lasting longer than 6 months
- Prolongation sounds
- Repetition of syllables, words, phrases or sounds
- Reappearing of disfluencies after 3 years
- Blocks that produce inaudible period like “I l…..ike”
- Interjections and Revisions
In addition, there are many secondary behaviours involved in stuttering such as:
- Signs of getting frustrated like effortful speech, sighing, tilting head and crying
- Facial grimacing, including frequent blinking of eye
- Extreme movements
- Avoid making eye contact
- Rejecting a phrase because of predictable difficulties
Unfortunately, there is no definitive reason as to why the speech problem occurs. But, here are some known stuttering risk factors:
- Family history
- Child’s sex (typically boys are more at risk than girls)
- Neurophysiological factors
- Co-existing speech-language disorders
What are the typical causes of stuttering?
In the first few years, children undergo a fast development that is termed as language explosion. This is when the problem of stuttering starts.
Throughout this period, the child learns vocabulary rapidly and the neural networks of the brain involved in speech process cognition, emotions and language can face hurdles in coordination. Besides, stuttering can occur along with other issues like difficulties with the production of speech sound and articulation. It can also be present with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
How to differentiate between usual language development skill and a stuttering problem that may need stuttering speech therapy?
Typically, about 75% of the preschoolers having stutter problems will disappear without undergoing any treatment. However, if you notice the problem is lasting more than six months, it is best to go for speech and language evaluation. This is especially if the problem has been creating a ruckus after the child passed three and a half years of age or has a family history with the same condition.
A noticeable behaviour of the child dealing with stutter is that they develop a negative attitude towards speaking or even making a particular sound. There are also secondary characteristics mentioned above that displays an escaping behaviour of the child. If you notice any such characteristics, seek help from professionals of LA Speech Therapy Solutions to get the best treatment for speedy recovery!
Why Is It Important To Treat Stuttering?
It is very important to get treatment for fluency disorders as early as possible. If you detect stuttering issues in childhood, it is best to start treatment. Any speech and language disorders can hinder your social, personal, educational, or work life. A child with a stuttering issue can later experience negative reactions from peers, neighbours or strangers. As a consequence, the child might be more comfortable using escaping behaviour like holding back from expressing actual feelings in words, avoid speaking at school or any public place. If left untreated, adults with stutter issues may avoid personal or job commitments that have the demand to speak and be vocal!
The Speech-Language Pathology Assistants job is to provide speech and language therapeutic intervention using exercises and other forms of treatment for eliminating the difficulty of speaking.
Effective Tips to Strengthen Communication
It is vital for guardians and surrounding people to show acceptance and reduce surprising or unpleasant reactions towards their disfluencies. In the case of children, they pick up emotions and thoughts and when they see their parents are anxious about their stuttering issue, it may create a negative cycle in their mind. Followed by which the child may begin more stuttering because of the increased pressure.
So, here are some vital tips to keep in mind:
- Avoid stopping their thoughts even if they stutter
- Be a model and teach them an easy and relaxed way of communication. Show them how they can pause while speaking in an unhurried manner
- Be attentive to their speech and focus on the content rather than the way they speak
- Practise patience
- Praise them to build confidence
Conclusion
In the initial years of development, it is common for kids to show interruptions or disfluencies in their speech. That’s because brains are processing the vocabulary and different forms of unfamiliar sounds. Children learn a different set of complex language and its rules simultaneously developing fine and gross motor coordination. Consequently, even if disruptions occur, there is nothing to be surprised at. In fact, some children tend to go back and forth between the phase of disfluency and fluency. If the disfluency stays, the child would need stuttering speech therapy under the speech-language therapist.
