Does My Child Need Therapy for Stuttering

Written by Lisa A. Scott, Ph.D.

Should My Child Attend Speech Therapy?

Stuttering can become a lifelong part of talking for some people. However, it does not have to interfere with your child's ability to make friends, participate in the classroom, make good grades, form lasting relationships, or achieve career goals.

What Happens In Therapy

Goals of stuttering therapy

There are usually two main goals in stuttering therapy for this age group:

When to Refer

Children with severe stuttering problems should be referred immediately. Children who have mild stuttering problems that have not shown marked improvement within six to eight weeks, depending on the child, should also be referred. These children should be given direct treatment if it is warranted, and their parents will receive support and guidance, and they will be followed carefully.

If You Are Teased

Children tease each other for many different reasons. A child who is taller than the others is sometimes teased. The same may happen to a child who is very short.

You may be teased about a big nose or giant ears. About being sick a lot or about not running fast. About having red hair or about being slow at math. About not wearing the right clothes or about not having a bicycle.

Q&A with Dr. Drayna

Dennis Drayna, Ph.D., researcher for the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, answers questions from students at Glendale American Elementary School.

Withers Famous People

Singer Withers overcame stuttering

 

The April/May 2006 issue of the magazine Waxpoetics sheds some light on the brilliant career of the famed singer and songwriter.

Born in 1938 in Slab Fork, W.V., Withers was the youngest of six children. When his father died when Withers was small, he was raised by his mother and grandmother, both of whom worked as domestics.

Brochures

Single copies can be obtained by calling (800) 992-9392 and are mailed free of charge. The on-line brochures contain all the text but none of the pictures of the printed brochures. Note that we have PDF (Adobe Acrobat format) versions for download and viewing of most of the brochures. Also note that the PDFs may be laid out for printing on front and back of a page and then folded. At the bottom of this page you will find the brochures translated into other languages.

I'm Not Hiding Anymore (Rob Bloom)

"I'm not hiding anymore"

By Rob Bloomalt text

I stutter. I always have. In fact, I can remember being three years old and trying very hard to push out the word 'd-d-daddy.'

Rocket Science's Blitz Interview

Jeffrey Blitz, writer and director of Rocket Science, answers SFA questions.

Q: Is there one incident in your childhood that inspired you to write the screenplay for Rocket Science?

Book Review: Trouble At Recess

Trouble at Recess: A Sure Hit

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This 30-page book written and illustrated by 8 year-old Jamie describes the tribulations that many children who stutter encounter both in the classroom and on the playground.

Shipping Charges

Shipping Charges

This chart is for orders which are faxed or called in only; orders from our eStore will calculate charges based on the actual weight. Please note that shipping charges are for domestic standard UPS shipment only.

Free Speech Therapy is a School Benefit

At a time of spiraling health care costs, speech therapy is one free benefit many parents can appreciate. If your child stutters, he or she may be eligible for free speech therapy in school.

Under federal law, public and private schools must provide special education services such as speech therapy to children, even preschoolers, who need them. "Unfortunately, many parents aren't aware that this free resource exists and that it can save them hundreds of dollars in health care costs," said Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation. "Stuttering therapy may not be covered by employer-based health insurance either," she added.

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