How to treat severe stuttering

Patient's question:

Severe stuttering
Always had

Doctor's answer:

Analysis of the Condition:
Stuttering refers to a state where speech is interrupted, repeated, or unsmooth, and it is a common language disorder in childhood. Approximately 5% of children suffer from stuttering, with about half of them developing it before the age of 5. Stuttering typically forms during early childhood and is also most easily corrected during this stage. If not corrected in early childhood, stuttering can sometimes persist throughout life.
There is a fundamental difference between stuttering and stuttering disorder. Stuttering is a temporary speech disfluency caused by interference with the central nervous system due to emotional excitement or mental tension. In contrast, stuttering disorder is a condition resulting from psychological issues.
Suggestions:
Causes of Stuttering:
1. Imitating others who stutter. Most children who stutter learn to do so by imitating others during their early years. Stuttering is highly contagious, and children often imitate each other, or they may mimic people who stutter because they find it amusing, leading to the development of stuttering.
2. Parents' excessive expectations for their children's language development. When children are learning to speak, if parents correct them too much or use scare tactics to force them to learn, scold or laugh at them, it can cause children to become tense and afraid of making mistakes, leading to speech pressure and a loss of confidence, which may result in stuttering.
3. Parents may misinterpret hesitation or mild hesitation in children's speech as stuttering and correct it too hastily, inadvertently causing the stuttering.
4. Forcing left-handed children to use their right hand can also lead to stuttering.
5. Sudden psychological stress, such as being startled, excessively punished, or experiencing a sudden change in environment, can also cause stuttering.
How to Correct Stuttering:
Since stuttering is a psychogenic disorder, the correct treatment should begin with psychological therapy, focusing on eliminating the child's psychological barriers. However, for temporary stuttering, no treatment is needed. As children grow older and their intelligence develops, the stuttering may resolve on its own. However, parents must ensure that children do not develop psychological pressure, as this can worsen the condition and turn it into a stuttering disorder.
Methods for correcting stuttering include first eliminating the child's tension and fear while providing demonstrations and encouraging repeated practice. General approaches include:
1. Letting children listen to pleasant-sounding, fluent, and age-appropriate language, such as children's stories or nursery rhymes. After they become familiar with it, encourage them to repeat and recite along.
2. Parents must be patient and attentive in communicating with their children, completely removing any fear of stuttering. Offer encouragement and rewards whenever the child shows progress. The goal is to ensure the child feels no psychological pressure while speaking.
3. Engage in frequent conversations with the child, speaking at a slightly slower pace and asking questions to guide them to respond. If the child is reluctant to answer at first, do not force them; continue speaking to help them answer naturally without noticing their stuttering. Avoid constantly pointing out their flaws while they are speaking.
4. Encourage the child to build confidence in overcoming stuttering. Create opportunities for them to interact with fluent-speaking peers. At the same time, educate younger peers not to laugh at children who stutter.
5. Parents should explain to their children that correcting stuttering requires a longer process and that progress may fluctuate. They should not become discouraged. The key to correcting stuttering lies in confidence and perseverance.