Stuttering - any advice?

[Sheree Bobbins]

Has anybody stuttered here and did you overcome it? My younger son stuttered in early grade school but saw a therapist. Now, he is in Gr. 8 and the stuttering has returned. Any advice for him?

 

[Kath2003]

Take him to a speech therapist? They'll be able to provide breathing exercises for him to use. They're very good

Stuttering at a young age is very common especially in bright children (brain works faster than their mouth can get out the words, hence the lag!) but few continue into their teens. Speech therapy could help your DS a lot - I've seen it work well for several people, several of whom you would never know they have a stutter.

 

[GoofyPrincess]

I am a stutterer. I have struggled with it my whole life and I don't think you overcome it. You just learn to manage it.

I went to a speech therapist when I was about 8 and again in high school. They both told me that it was in my head. Stress (created in my head, apparently) made me tense up the muscless in my neck and formed a kind of blockage that made it difficult to speak. I agree with most of that - I can feel the muscles tense up and when I force them to relax the stuttering goes away.

When I feel secure and happy/relaxed, the stuttering is completely gone. When I am nervous, it's harder. Over the years, I have "practiced" enough that I am now a Trainer for a large corporation and travel around the country teaching classes. No one - including my boss - knew I had a stuttering problem until I told them.

Please go forward with the speech therapist - there are some physical and emotional conditions that cause stuttering that are completely treatable. Then there are those of us that have the problem "in our heads".

Even though I am mental, I have a perfectly normal life. I get embarrassed by it occasionally, but it hasn't been an issue to me, my family or my career.

 

[belle&beast]

I am a speech therapist- get him to one soon! Nobody truly knows why people stutter- there are lots of theories- stress, emotional trauma, genetic predisposition, and some really far-fetched ideas. However, the important thing is for him to learn to manage it. There is a stuttering foundation that will provide you with information. I am going to google and find the correct address. Send me a PM if you have specific questions.

The website for the Stuttering Foundationof America is: http://www.stutteringhelp.org/