Patient's question:
The child has never been very smooth in speaking since they started learning to talk, often stammering and stumbling over their words. Although it's not as severe as stuttering, they always seem to struggle with responding smoothly. What should be done about the child's stammered speech?Doctor's answer:
When children learn to speak, parents often overstep by intimidating or forcing them to answer or suddenly stopping them from answering, which makes children mentally tense and prone to stuttering. Sudden fright or excessive scolding can also cause mental trauma, leading to stuttering. Some children, when learning to speak or lacking a rich vocabulary, may stutter due to speaking too quickly or having their language and thinking stuck. This can also constitute stuttering. If the child has vocal cord issues or tie problems, it's best to take them to the hospital's otolaryngology department for a check-up. Generally, the younger the child, the higher the probability of correction. If it's not due to these reasons, it might be caused by the way parents communicate with them. In this case, adults must promptly correct the child's mistakes and encourage them to slow down their speech speed to reduce stuttering.