I just finished reading a book entitled “Get out of my Life, but first could you drive me and Cheryl to the Mall” by Anthony Wolf, PhD. (thanks to my good friend Alona for recommending it!!) It reminded me how challenging the teen years are.
The teen years are vital to maintain a positive self concept. Stuttering often makes it difficult as teens struggle to do well in school, make friends, interact with the opposite sex and get ready for college. There are so many challenges to face. This is why it is vital for parents to encourage their children, praise them for their accomplishments and help them not let stuttering stand in their way of following their dreams. As the parent of teenage girls and a person who stutters, I know this is easier said than done.
The following are tips to help the teen who stutters:
1. Let them finish their sentences.
2. Work closely with them in therapy.
3. Be aware of what their speech practice is. Don’t allow them to practice on their own. It is impossible to improve communication unless the tools are slowly transferred outside the speech clinic. I say slowly because if not handled the correct way, pws feel like failures and give up on improving fluency. It is best to work on a hierarchy of fear situations and avoidances.
4. Praise all speaking attempts, not just fluency. It takes courage to talk and risk stuttering. However, it sometimes takes many attempts to achieve a small degree of success. Don’t get discouraged as a parent. It is a process to change how a pws (person who stutters) has talked their entire life.
5. If they are receiving therapy in school, find out if the speech pathologist treating your child works individually or in a group. If a group, is it a group of teens who stutter or a variety of disorders? Ask if the speech pathologist has experience working with people who stutter. Stuttering is a complex disorder and must be treated by a speech pathologist with expertise in stuttering.
6. Realize there is no cure. Accept the fact that your child stutters, but also help them find the appropriate help. Some teens achieve a great deal of fluency, while others learn to stutter in an easier way. Some achieve a certain level of improvment and will come back to speech therapy later on.
7. Listen to their message, not how it is being said.
8. Ask them if stuttering is affecting them socially and/or academically? Talk openly about it and ask them how they can help.
9. At this age, parents can’t force their children to be in speech therapy. The teen has to want it for him/herself.
10. Talk to other parents who stutter and have your child meet others who stutter as well. If you stutter, you are not alone (www.westutter.org)-National Stuttering Association.
As many of you know, I stuttered severely as a teen. They were difficult years. Stuttering was not talked about at that time. I think it would have made it easier if it was. I found it helpful meeting others who stutter. I realize I was always looking for the magic cure. When I accepted I might always stutter, my fluency improved greatly, believe it or not!! Please let me know if you have any questions. Many of my teen parents have asked me for these tips and hope we can all meet in the fall. tks for reading. Stay cool!! Lori
Tags: Narional stuttering association, National stuttering association, stuttering treatment
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