Kids Get In FREE @ WA State Fair : )

Washington State Fair!!! This weekend ONLY is KiDS get in FREE!!!

& Stop in and see TIFFANI at Booth #5 w/ the National Stuttering Association : ) 

Classroom Suggestions for Children Who Stutter

International Stuttering Awareness Day

International Stuttering Awareness Day

International Stuttering Awareness Day is Oct. 22nd. To help raise awareness and celebrate here are some fun facts and myths about stuttering:

• Over three million Americans stutter
• Children who stutter are at a higher risk for bullying
• Stuttering affects three to four times as many males as females
• Approximately 5% of all children go through a period of stuttering that last six months or more. 3 quarters will recover by late childhood, leaving 1% with a long term stutter.
• Studies show that people who stutter are as intelligent and well-adjusted as those who don't. 
• Nervousness does NOT cause stuttering
• Famous people who stutter include Emily Blunt, Joe Biden, and Marilyn Monroe

Your response when conversing with a person who stutters is important. It is not an appropriate response to tell them to "think about what you say first" or to "take a deep breath before talking." It is also not favorable to finish their sentences. A more appropriate response would be to listen patiently and treat them as you normally would treat someone in a conversation.  

Our very own speech language pathologist, Tiffani, has written a wonderful article regarding her journey with stuttering and her own fluency disorder. Check it out here! 

7 Tips for Talking with Your Child

Most children who stutter benefit from taking time to speak at a rate that promotes fluency. Here are a few tips on how you can help your child's fluency when speaking to them. 

1. Reduce the Pace - Speak with your child in a unhurried way, pausing frequently.

2. Full Listening - Increase the times that you give your child your undivided attention.

3. Asking Questions - Try to resist asking one question after another. Sometimes it's best to just comment on what your child has said and wait. 

4. Turn Taking - Take turns listening and talking. Children find it much easier to speak when there are fewer interruptions.

5. Building Confidence  - Use descriptive praise to build confidence.

6. Special Times - Set aside a few minutes at a regular time each day to give your child your undivided attention

7. Normal Rules Apply

Helping a Child Who Stutters in Their New Classroom

Hello All.  Only a couple more weeks until it’s back to school. I thought I would dedicate my blog post this week to discussing fluency, concerns and strategies, with your child’s new teacher.

The Stuttering Foundation has compiled an excellent list called 7 tips for talking with your child.  Let’s start with my number one suggestion, which happens to be the first suggestion on the list, to improve fluency at home:

.        Reduce the pace. Speak with your child in an unhurried way, pausing frequently. Wait a few seconds after your child finishes before you begin to speak.  Your own easy relaxed speech will be far more effective than any advice such as “slow down” or “try it again slowly.” For some children, it is also helpful to introduce a more relaxed pace of life for a while.

Please visit stutteringhelp.org to see the rest of the list.

The Stuttering Foundation is a helpful resource for teachers as well.  Here’s what they recommend to help teachers improve their student’s fluency:

1.     Don’t tell the child to slow down or “relax.” Be patient and let her finish.

2.     Don’t complete words for the child or talk for him or her.  Once again, be patient and let him finish.

3.     Help all members of the class learn to take turns talking and listening. All children—especially those who stutter- find it much easier to talk when there are few interruptions and they have the listener’s attention.

4.     Expect the same quality and quantity of work from the student who stutters as the one who doesn’t.

5.     Speak with the student in an unhurried way, pausing frequently.

6.     Convey that you are listening to the content of the message, no who it was said.

7.     Have a one-on-one conversation with the student who stutters about needed accommodations in the classroom. Respect the student’s needs but do not be enabling.

8.     Don’t make stuttering something to be ashamed of. Talk about stuttering just like any other matter.

I would add a few more:

9.     Develop a system with the child who stutters, or implement class-wide, to decide who gets to answer questions.  Randomly calling on students can put them on the spot and increase the likelihood of stuttering. This could be raising a hand if they would like to be called on or walking around and tapping on the arm to signal that the student will be next to answer. 

10. To improve fluency when reading aloud have small groups or pairs of children to each other instead of to the entire class.

11. Teasing is unacceptable classroom behavior. It’s best to deal with teasing swiftly, whether a child who stutters is being teased or someone else.

12. Once again, focus on the content, not delivery, of the response or comment from the child who stutters (and all students) to positively reinforce respect in the classroom.

Wishing you a happy and healthy week,

Elizabeth