At Long Island Stuttering & Speech Pathology, we believe that stuttering should not prevent anyone from living their fullest life. Our experienced speech therapists work with children, teens, and adults who stutter.
Stuttering Therapy for Kids
Children who stutter are capable and resilient. Through a combination of parental support and evidence-based speech therapy methods, we will ensure that your child's stuttering does not keep them from reaching their full academic and social potential. Our speech therapists take the time to build positive relationships, create a safe space to talk about stuttering, and provide fluency tools and strategies to help your child:
-
Speak with confidence
-
Reduce fear or anxiety associated with stuttering
-
Speak in an easier and relaxed way with reduced laryngeal tension
-
Use fluency strategies
-
Demonstrate self-advocacy
Long Island Stuttering & Speech Pathology takes a family-centered approach to stuttering therapy. We directly involve parents in the therapy process and provide home programs for parents of toddlers who stutter. We are here to give you tools and strategies to support your child on their journey to becoming a successful and confident communicator!
Stuttering Therapy for Adults
At Long Island Stuttering & Speech Pathology, our goal is to improve your quality of life through holistic stuttering therapy. Stuttering does not define you, and it should not hold you back from living your fullest life. We will consider the etiology of your stuttering, your stuttering knowledge and perceptions, and individual goals when determining the most appropriate therapy approach. Our experienced team will help you:
-
Accept your stuttering and speak with confidence
-
Improve conversational participation and relationships
-
Understand the speech mechanism (anatomy and physiology)
-
Develop a greater awareness of laryngeal tension
-
Use strategies to reduce tension in the larynx during speech
-
Self-advocate in academic, vocational, and social settings
-
Reduce fear and anxiety associated with stuttering
-
Successfully communicate in daily life
It is never too late to begin stuttering therapy. We support adults of all ages in speaking easier, reducing the impact of stuttering, and reaching their personal fluency goals.
Frequently Asked Questions About Stuttering
What is stuttering?
Stuttering, sometimes referred to as stammering or dysfluent speech, is a speech disorder. As a person who stutters tries to speak, he or she may exhibit these characteristics.
-
Frequent repetitions, prolongations, pauses, or hesitations of speech sounds, syllables, words, or phrases.
-
Secondary behaviors such as eye blinking, squinting, and muscle tension around lips or jaw.
-
Other stuttering behaviors
No two stutterers stutter alike. Disfluent speech patterns are as unique as our fingerprints. Each stutterer should be treated according to his/her individual needs.
Stuttering affects more than 3 million people in the United States. Although it most frequently occurs in children between the ages of two and six, it can affect all age groups. It occurs three times more often in males than females.
What causes stuttering?
The exact causes of stuttering are not completely understood. There are different possible factors that may contribute to how stuttering develops. Genetics may play a role if a family member also stutters; brain structure and function; research has shown that people that stutter may process language slightly differently than those that don’t; environment and family dynamics may play a role in developing negative emotions regarding a child’s own dysfluencies. Researchers believe that a combination of these factors can contribute to the development of stuttering. In rare cases, stuttering can be “acquired,” such as through brain injury or severe psychological trauma.
What are the different types of stuttering?
Developmental
This is the most common type of stuttering, which occurs in children. As their speech and language processes are developing, they may not be able to meet verbal demands.
Neurogenic
Neurogenic stuttering is also a common disorder that occurs from signal problems between the brain and nerves and muscles.
Psychogenic
Psychogenic stuttering is believed to originate in the mind in the area of the brain that directs thought and reasoning. This type of stuttering may occur in people with mental illness or who have experienced mental stress or anguish. However, although stuttering may cause emotional problems, it is not believed to be the result of emotional problems.
How is stuttering diagnosed?
In addition to a complete medical history, a diagnosis of stuttering may also include:
-
A detailed history of the development of the disorder.
-
An evaluation of speech and language abilities by a licensed speech pathologist specializing in fluency disorders.
When should treatment of stuttering begin?
Early intervention for a child who has been exhibiting a disfluent speech pattern for more than three to six months is highly recommended. This early identification and intervention may keep stuttering from becoming a life-long problem. The goal of treatment is to focus on relearning how to speak or to unlearn incorrect ways of speaking, thus eliminating the disfluent speech pattern called “stuttering.”
Parents of children who stutter may be encouraged to:
-
Speak with your child in an unhurried way, pausing frequently. Wait a few seconds after your child finishes speaking before you begin to speak. Your own slow, relaxed speech will be far more effective than criticism or advice such as, “slow down” or “try it again, slowly.”
-
Reduce the number of questions you ask your child. Instead of asking questions, simply comment on what your child has said, thereby letting him or her know you heard them.
-
Try to look at your child when he/she is speaking to you. This assures that he has your attention. The tactile or touch response will also assure him that he has your full attention.
-
Help all members of the family learn to take turns talking and listening. Children, especially those who stutter, find it much easier to talk when there are few interruptions and they have the listener’s attention.
-
Observe the way you interact with your child. Try to reassure your child that he/she has plenty of time to talk and that you are listening.
-
Set aside a few moments at a regular time each day when you can give your undivided attention to your child. Let the child choose what he would like to do. When you talk during this special time, use slow, calm and relaxed speech with plenty of pauses.
-
Convey that you accept and support your child as he is. Your own slower, more relaxed speech and the things you do to help build this confidence as a speaker are likely to increase his fluency and diminish his stuttering.
To the classroom teacher (for the child who stutters at school):
-
Consult with the school’s speech pathologist for suggestions.
-
Talk to the parents about their opinion of the problem so that you and they can be consistent in the things you do.
-
A major concern for most teachers is the child’s reactions to his stuttering in the classroom. There are no set rules about participation in class. At one extreme is the child who may be quite unconcerned and happy to participate like any other child. At the other extreme, the child may cry and refuse to talk. Most cases are somewhere in between.
-
Talk with the child privately. Show your support. Show him you are aware of his stuttering (elementary school children) and that you accept it and him.
-
Answering questions: As you are asking questions in the classroom, you can do certain things to make it easier for a child who stutters.
-
Initially, until he adjusts to the class, ask him questions that can be answered with relatively few words.
-
If every child is going to be asked a question, call on the child who stutters fairly early. Tension and worry can build up the longer he has to wait his turn.
-
Assure the whole class that they will have as much time as they need to answer questions and you are interested in having them take time and think through their answers, not just answer quickly.
-
-
Reading aloud in class: Many children who stutter are able to handle oral reading tasks in the classroom satisfactorily, particularly if they are encouraged to practice at home. There will be some, however, who will stutter severely while reading aloud in class. The following suggestions may help:
-
Reading in unison with someone else is very helpful. Let the child have his turn with one of the other children.
-
Let the whole class read in pairs sometimes so that the child who stutters doesn’t feel “special." Gradually, he may become more confident and able to manage reading out loud on his own.
-
-
Addressing teasing: The following suggestions may be helpful in dealing with teasing.
-
If the child has been upset with teasing, talk with him.
-
Point out that many children are teased for many things.
-
Tell the child to try not to take it too seriously.
-
If certain children are picking on him, talk to them alone. Try to enlist their help. Most want the approval of their teacher. Punishing them for teasing does not help.
-
-
If no speech clinician is available, suggest to the parents that they seek one out who is licensed and specializes in stuttering.
Stuttering Resources
The Stuttering Foundation: stutteringhelp.org
National Stuttering Association: westutter.org
StutterTalk Podcast: stuttertalk.com
