Stuttering is a speech disorder which causes the forward flow of speech. The speech interruptions are involuntary and prolonging sounds, syllables, words or phrases in the person is a result of this disorder. The causes of this disorder may be many. Genetics is a primary cause for the same. Others reasons may be various developmental factors as well. The lack of development of speech during the preschool years may lead to this problem. In case if you find that your child is suffering from this speech disorder it is natural for you as a parent to worry. Even if you are very worried you must not express this before your child. Any stress on your child in regard to the problem may actually aggravate it. So make sure that you are supportive to your child and encourage him or her always. Stuttering may have various kinds of psychological effects. In this blog we will try to point these out and also guide you in ways in which this disorder could be treated.
Stuttering has deep rooted psychological effects
Beyond the standard audible and visible symptoms of stuttering there are psychological symptoms may have long term effects. The first being fear. Often the fear of embarrassment of stammering every time a child speaks is enormous. So the child feels shy and tends to get withdrawn with shame. He or she therefore speaks as less as possible. Thus he or she leads a life of quiet desperation. Often the child as a result of the problem lacks clarity of thought. He or she prefers living in isolation. The self image of the child suffers immensely as a result of this disorder. There is a total lack of self confidence. Thus if the problem is left untreated and prolongs over a long period of time it could lead to depression as well. So in case you notice the problem in your child you must have it treated as well. The sooner the problem is treated the better it is.
Who could help?
A Speech Therapist or a Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP) is the one who can help treat the problem with speech therapy. Speech Language Pathologist (SLPs) or Speech Therapists are therapists who specialize in treatment of Speech and language problems. There is a common misconception that with Speech Therapy the child becomes over conscious of the problem and thus it may actually worsen it. But the same is not true. SLPs are experts who can effectively treat the problem. Though there may be instances when some children may outgrow the problem on their own without Speech Therapy, but speech therapy would definitely help. However the effects of the progress through speech therapy may vary from child to child. These depend on various factors in regard to when the therapy was started. The age at which the disorder was detected is another major factor. The sooner it is detected and treated the better the chances of recovery.
As a parent your role in treating the problem is critical. You would require patience. You must be encouraging the child always. You as a parent also need to follow closely the things which are being done during the therapy sessions. Repeating them at home would always be an additional help. In case your child is suffering from any speech disorder then SpeechPlus is a leading Speech Therapy clinic in Kolkata.