International Stuttering Awareness Day : Growth Through Speaking 22nd October 2019
International Stuttering Awareness Day is observed annually on October 22. The The for this year is Growth Through Speaking. Stuttering is a communication disorder in which repetitions — or abnormal stoppages of sounds and syllables — break the flow of speech. There may also be unusual facial and body movements associated with speaking.
International Stuttering Awareness Day shines a helpful spotlight on stutterers and educates the public about the causes.
Diagnosis is made by a health professional trained to evaluate and treat children and adults with speech and language disorders (speech-language pathologist). The speech-language pathologist observes the adult or child speak in different types of situations.
If you're the parent
If you're the parent of a child who stutters, the doctor or speech-language pathologist may:
Ask questions about your child's health history, including when he or she began stuttering and when stuttering is most frequent
Ask questions about how stuttering affects your child's life, such as relationships with others and school performance
Talk to your child, and may ask him or her to read aloud to watch for subtle differences in speech
Differentiate between the repetition of syllables and mispronunciation of words that are normal in young children, and stuttering that's likely to be a long-term condition
Rule out an underlying condition that can cause irregular speech, such as Tourette's syndrome
If you're an adult who stutters
If you're an adult who stutters, the doctor or speech-language pathologist may:
Ask questions about your health history, including when you began stuttering and when stuttering is most frequent
Rule out an underlying health condition that could cause stuttering
Want to know what treatments you've tried in the past, which can help determine what type of treatment approach may be best
Ask questions to better understand how stuttering affects you
Want to know how stuttering has impacted your relationships, school performance, career and other areas of your life, and how much stress it causes
Treatment
After a comprehensive evaluation by a speech-language pathologist, a decision about the best treatment approach can be made. Several different approaches are available to treat children and adults who stutter. Because of varying individual issues and needs, a method — or combination of methods — that's helpful for one person may not be as effective for another.
Treatment may not eliminate all stuttering, but it can teach skills that help to:
Improve speech fluency
Develop effective communication
Participate fully in school, work and social activities
A few examples of treatment approaches — in no particular order of effectiveness — include:
Speech therapy.
Speech therapy can teach you to slow down your speech and learn to notice when you stutter. You may speak very slowly and deliberately when beginning speech therapy, but over time, you can work up to a more natural speech pattern.
Electronic devices.
Several electronic devices are available to enhance fluency. Delayed auditory feedback requires you to slow your speech or the speech will sound distorted through the machine. Another method mimics your speech so that it sounds as if you're talking in unison with someone else. Some small electronic devices are worn during daily activities. Ask a speech-language pathologist for guidance on choosing a device.
Cognitive behavioral therapy.
This type of psychotherapy can help you learn to identify and change ways of thinking that might make stuttering worse. It can also help you resolve stress, anxiety or self-esteem problems related to stuttering.
Parent-child interaction.
Parental involvement in practicing techniques at home is a key part of helping a child cope with stuttering, especially with some methods. Follow the guidance of the speech-language pathologist to determine the best approach for your child.
Medication
Although some medications have been tried for stuttering, no drugs have been proved yet to help the problem.
