This blog post was written by our Speech and Language Therapist Lauren Daly who has extensive experience in treating children with speech and language difficulties. Lauren works in our IFSC clinic.
Porky pig is a well-loved cartoon character who stutters. Characters like Porky pig raise awareness of this Speech Difficulty that many children deal with on a daily basis.
Public awareness is crucially important for individuals who stutter or have any other type of Speech and Language difficulties. Public awareness means that children who stutter may not have to explain themselves every time they open their mouth to speak or feel shy or uncomfortable about their stutter.
A Speech and Language Therapist is a trained professional who can offer support and treatment for children who stutter. The Speech and Language Therapist will perform an assessment to evaluate the speech problem properly. They will also speak at length to the person to understand the impact the stammer/stutter has had on this person’s life (social, academic, occupational and confidence) and what steps the client would like to take to make gradual changes so they can speak more confidently
Top 5 tips if you notice your child under the age of 5 is stuttering.
Speak with your child in an unhurried way, pausing frequently.
Reduce the number of questions you ask your child. Children are more likely to engage in conversation when you allow him/her to express their own ideas.
Show your child that you are listening to them. Use facial expressions and body language to indicate that they have your full attention.
Allocate Special Time to your child. Spend these few minutes giving your child your undivided attention.
Build your child’s confidence and self esteem through praise in other areas if their life which are not related to speech such as their swimming, football art etc.
Spectrum Health treat a wide range of difficulties and disorders. If you think we can help your child you can book an appointment by clicking here, telephoning: 01 6111740 or emailing: book@spectrumhealth.ie
Lauren Daly, author of this post, has extensive experience working with pediatrics, including the areas of Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Intellectual Disability, Cerebral Palsy and many different types of speech and language difficulties. To read more about her please click here.
That’s all folks!!
