Patient's question:
My daughter is currently 21 months old. She started talking from the age of 17. Since last month, she has been a bit stuttering when speaking, especially when repeating the first word many times. What should I do? How can I help her speak without stuttering?Doctor's answer:
On the basis of psychological therapy, helping children gain confidence and feel comfortable breathing and using their speech organs is essential for the success of language correction training. The following methods can be adopted:1. Slow down the child's speaking speed, which can reduce stuttering and make it easier for others to understand. Once the child no longer stutters, gradually increase the speaking speed.
2. Encourage the child to speak in a lower volume, as speaking softly can prevent stuttering.
3. For the first word of each phrase, gently guide the child to pronounce it slowly and lightly, then smoothly transition to the second word. Most children who stutter struggle with pronouncing the first word of a phrase. If the pronunciation is too rushed or forceful, stuttering is likely to occur. This is a critical point.
4. Practice frequently. Take every opportunity in daily life to talk and practice with the child who stutters. Do not give up or stop halfway. Encourage the child to sing, recite nursery rhymes, tell stories, or retell personal happy experiences to improve speech fluency and aid in correcting stuttering. Alternatively, correcting stuttering can be achieved by switching languages. For example, if a child originally speaks Shanghai dialect, encourage them to speak Mandarin to change their language habits and force them to think before speaking.
In summary, as long as imitation is avoided, the child's tension during speech is eliminated, and training is strengthened, stuttering can be corrected once the child's nervous system develops fully.