If you have recently noticed that your child is stammering more than usual, it could be cause for concern. However, most of the time it is only a temporary phase and not something you should be overly concerned with. Even so, you can’t discount it altogether because there is a slight possibility that if left untreated, your child will continue stammering into adulthood. Sometimes, doctors and speech pathologists can’t pinpoint the underlying reason why a child stutters, but there are proven ways parents can help their children who have developed a stammer.
School Speech Therapists and Pathologists
Most public schools still have speech pathologists employed by the district. You may hear them referred to as speech therapists, but don’t be concerned. There is no difference. It’s all in a name. While they may not be at every school full-time, in fact, they rarely are, but the service is free for all children attending county schools. If you notice that your elementary school-age child is stammering more than what you or your child’s teachers believe to be ‘normal,’ then you could speak with the school’s guidance counselor about having your child assessed for free.
Exercises You Can Do at Home
Once it has been determined that your child needs therapy, the school may provide one-on-one time with the district’s speech therapist. Severe problems may be referred to private therapists, but even then, free help is often available for parents without the financial means to pay for sessions. These are usually provided through government healthcare programs like Medicaid if you qualify, but the point is that free therapy is available if necessary. You can also use the recommended at-home exercises to help a stuttering child, which your child’s therapist can provide for you or you can find them online through the link mentioned above.
Free Apps for Mobile Devices
Then there are a number of free speech therapy apps you can download online, some of which are also listed on the abovementioned site. Many of those are developed with children in mind and, as such, are just as fun and entertaining as they are therapeutic. You can also find speech therapy apps that involve using music and these seem to be the ones most kids favor the most. It is suggested that you download more than a few because sometimes kids tire easily with apps, and even games lose allure if played too much and too often. That being said, there may be that one app that your child likes best and that is perhaps the one you should work with most often and as a ‘reward’ for doing well in other apps you are using.
With more than three million adults suffering from stammering from mild to severe, you should know that this is a condition that is common, but not of epidemic proportions. Medical science is still trying to determine why some people have a tendency to stammer while others never seem to have any problems whatsoever. Just keep working with your child in a fun and non-threatening way and these free exercises should help reduce or alleviate the problem altogether.
