Early Intervention Important for Children Who Stutter

Stuttering Foundation and ASHA Team to
Promote This Message During International Stuttering Awareness Day

At a time when more than 3 million Americans stutter,the Stuttering Foundation and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) are collaborating to raise awareness among parents and caregivers about the warning signs and the benefits of early intervention of stuttering.

The effort is the organizations’ way of marking International Stuttering Awareness Day on October 22.

Nearly 5% of all children under the age of 7 go through a period of stuttering. Children often stutter when learning to talk, and at times their speech may not be smooth. Children may also repeat whole words or phrases, but this should only occur occasionally, not all the time. This is normal and should not cause you to worry. However, a child may be at risk for stuttering if he or she

repeats parts of words such as t-t-t-table or tay-tay-tay-table
uses the “uh” sound (instead of the correct vowel) when repeating words like tuh-tuh-tuh-table
prolongs or holds a sound too long like sssssun
has an uneven rhythm when repeating sounds like b-b---b---boy
opens his or her mouth to speak and nothing comes out
has breaks or stops in between repetitions of sounds
struggles to produce speech by making a face or getting very tense when trying to speak.

The causes of stuttering can be different for everyone. A child may be at a higher risk for stuttering if

other family members stutter
stuttering lasts longer than 6 months
they began to stutter after age 3½
have other speech or language problems

In addition, boys are at higher risk of stuttering. Girls are more likely than boys to outgrow stuttering. In fact, three to four boys continue to stutter for every girl who stutters.

“In the past, experts incorrectly believed that paying attention to the child’s stuttering would exacerbate the situation,” said Stuttering Foundation Vice-President Lisa Scott, PhD, CCC-SLP. “Children who stutter will have significantly less disfluent speech and a higher recovery rate if they are treated when they are young.”

Early intervention of stuttering is generally more effective than waiting; therefore “if you are concerned about your child’s speech, consult with a speech-language pathologist who works with children or specializes in stuttering," ASHA President Tommie L. Robinson Jr, PhD, CCC-SLP says. "The speech-language pathologist will be able to determine whether the child is stuttering and can show your child new and easier techniques to speak properly," Robinson adds.

For free information on stuttering, contact ASHA at (800) 638-TALK (8255) or the Stuttering Foundation at (800) 992-9392. You may also visit www.asha.org or www.stutteringhelp.org.

About the Stuttering Foundation
The Stuttering Foundation provides resources, services, and support to those who stutter and their families, as well as support for research into the causes of stuttering. It provides education, training, and information to professionals, children and adults who stutter; parents, teachers, and all those concerned about stuttering; and is a valuable resource for speech-language pathologists working in the schools with children of all ages.

About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 140,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems including swallowing disorders.

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Bill Walton

From BillWalton.com

Thank you for your interest in my life long problem with my speech and communication skills. I was a very shy and reserved young man who could not speak at all without severely stuttering until I was 28 years old. Always a success in the classroom and on the basketball court, I took refuge in the things that I did well as a youngster. A straight A student, my athletic abilities covered the deficiencies that limited my overall growth and development. The game of basketball was my religion, the gym my church. It was a convenient way of avoiding my responsibilities of developing my human relation skills.

When I was 28, a chance encounter at a social event with Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Glickman completely changed my life in so many ways that things have never been the same since, nor have they ever been better. That day, in a very brief, private conversation (one way, mind you, since I literally could not speak at the time) Marty explained, patiently and concisely, that talking, communicating was a skill not a gift or a birthright and that like any skill, whether it be sports, music, business or whatever, needed to be developed over a lifetime of hard work, discipline, organization and practice. Marty gave me some simple tips that day and then encouraged me to take those keys and apply them to methods of learning that I had received from the special teachers that I had come across in my life, particularly the 6 Hall of Fame basketball coaches that I had played for throughout my career. The beginning of my whole new life was as simple as that. No gimmicks, tricks or shortcuts. Just the realization that with some help, guidance and a lot of hard work that I too could do what seemed so easy, simple and natural to everyone else, yet seemed impossibly out of my reach and comprehension.

Byron Pitts

Byron Pitts has brought much attention to stuttering with his memoir, Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges, released in September, 2009. The book not only details his speech difficulties, but also his illiteracy until age 12 and his unstable family life. Pitts overcame the odds to become the chief national correspondent with ABC News.

John Stossel

John Stossel is one of the most recognized and articulate reporters today. However, he once considered giving up his broadcasting career because of his stuttering.

“Fear of stuttering can easily become worse than the stuttering itself,” observed Stossel. “The idea that I’m on television and making speeches is still a shock to me sometimes.”

Kenyon Martin

Kenyon Martin, the basketball sensation who was named to the NBA’s All Star Team in 2004, joins other famous people who stutter in a new brochure. The brochure - which unfolds into a small poster - is available free of charge from The Stuttering Foundation.

The poster is intended to give children and adults who stutter inspiration as they grapple with their speech disorder.

Frank Wolf

This Virginian congressman has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1981. The longtime supporter of the Stuttering Foundation drew national attention to childhood stuttering in 2006 when he submitted an article about Tiger Woods from the SFA newsletter to the Congressional Record. The congressman is featured in the Stuttering Foundation's Famous People Who Stutter brochure.