How do you help a 4 year old to stop studdering?

Question

My foster son was recently placed in my home has a studdering problem. We are going to start with speach therapy, is there anything I can help him with here at home? It is frustrating to him and he has a hard time talking in public because of it.

Answer 1

You know what? I have read old books. many of the say the say thing. Stuttering is caused by: A scary or extreme "shock" happening. I beleive it.

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Answer 2

Most kids go through some type of stuttering before they start school. My granddaughter went through this just recently only earlier, she was 2 1/2. She is now 4 and has NO problem. My daughter had this problem at 4 and it went away some time that year. She now teaches school.

It depends on the severity, if he can get the words out, but slowly., he will probably be OK. DO NOT let anyone tease him though and be VERY patient when he speaks. If he totally gets stuck and cannot get the word out without convulsing, etc...he would be helped greatly by speech therapy.

I wish him all the best!

ps...I also stuttered for my first 20 years and as I grew older it eventually went away.....let him know I still had a great childhood!

Answer 3

my kids don't studder but at times they do, typically when they're nervous or speak before having formed the thought completely. I find that telling them to breathe, relax, and think about what they're going to say, before they say it, helps.

as with any problem that can have either physical, or psychological, causes, it is always a good idea, before going to a lot of speech therapy classes or spend hours with a psychologist, to have a physician examine the kid and make sure that all the speech producing parts of his body are functioning well. Because if someone studders because of some mechanical problem, which only a physician will be able to spot, it would be a waste to try for psychological methods.

Answer 4

Stuttering is very common among children who are insecure. Since he is in foster care then I am sure he has had no sense of security in his little life. Besides taking him to therapy, love him and make him feel special. Give him alone time say once a day for even 30 minutes where just the two of you do something that he really enjoys. Building blocks is a good play time for children and adults to do together and it will help build his self esteem when you pride him on what he builds or creates.
God Bless you for taking him in. I can tell he was blessed because of your concern for him. I wish that all foster parents and parents where as kind and concerned for their children as you are about him.
Good Luck and God Bless

Answer 5

scientists have recently discovered that stuttering is caused by an "echo" effect, between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. The speaking organisms are basically given two sets of instructions when translating the words from the brain to speech, hence the mouth and throat echo sounds of speech rather than delivering them fluidly.
google stuttering for lots more info
please don't treat him like he can control it and be patient listening
my husband stuttered, and it was often frustrating to watch how folk who didn't know him would treat him badly, rudely. It will be difficult for the little guy, but not for his whole life. It is likely that speech therapy will be very effective.

Answer 6

The best thing you can do for a stutterer is to allow them the time to complete each and every sentence and thought they're trying to give voice to. By paying attention, and by not attempting to complete sentences for him, you will be providing him with the security and confidence that will help the speech therapy to really give the maximum benefit.

Your speech therapist will most likely go over this with you, and if it's any consolation, here are a few folks who are (and/or were) stutterers...perhaps you've heard of a few:

James Earl Jones (actor, voice of CNN), Wayne Brady (actor, improv artist, talk-show host), Isaac Newton (physics prodigy), Nicholas Brendon (actor), Winston Churchill (2x Prime Minister of England), Hugh Grant (actor), Bo Jackson (athlete), Samuel L. Jackson (actor), Thomas Jefferson...and many, many more.

The point I'm making with the previous list is this: it can be helpful - especially if you see one or more of these individuals on t.v. with your foster son - to let him know of their stuttering condition as a means of reinforcing that it will not last..at least, not with hard work and practice.

Answer 7

It's so hard to watch a child that young deal with something that causes them frustration and anxiety. Make sure he never senses your anxiety for him. Give him plenty of time to finish what he is saying especially when he is upset or anxious. Never finish his words for him. Offer alternate words to use in place of ones he may have particular issues with. Most of all just offer him reassurance and kindness. Being placed in foster care is traumitizing to children. Even if his previous home was unsuitable that is the environment and the people he was comfortable with. It will take time but with your support and patience and the therapy he should be ok.

Answer 8

There was a special on TV awhile back on this very thing you are going through with your son,I think the young man had some sort of ear piece placed inside his ear and stuttering was no more, Anyways I would just encourage him to take his time when trying to talk to you and others tell him to relax, when he tries to speak no matter how slow he takes be sure to give him your undivided attention and be just be patient so that he can say whatever it is that he needs to say. There was a Special on TV hosted by Amy Grant granting wishes to families that were in need of certain things there was one family a single mother and her son wanted to go to the White House to give a speech I think anyways this was a gift that she wanted for her son but due to his stuttering this would be difficult so Amy Grant with some funding granted the mother/son's wish and I think it was just some sort of Ear piece that either fitted inside the ear or behind the ear and the stuttering problem was gone, The mother was in tears because they made it a surprise she heard her son speak for the first time while at this event it was heart warming. just know that things will get better for him there are so many things available and we just have to do research and know certain people but IT WILL GET BETTER, Take care. GOD WILL MAKE AWAY FOR YOU/HIM KEEP THE FAITH

Answer 9

Ask the little boy to speak slower, or to sing the sentence. Then there won't be any studdering.

One of the reasons why many people stutter is because they think really fast, but they are not able to say it as fast as their brain computes it and requests it. The sync is off. Ask your boy to count until 5 before saying what he wants to say. It can be a bit tedious, so try to make it seem like a new game!

I hope this helps...

By the way, speEch is spelled with an "e". ;)

Answer 10

well alot of the time young children studder because people don't listen to them or rush them when they are trying to tell someone something. I used to studder when I was a child and it was because nobody would give me their complete attention, and after a while I began to studder around 4 or 5. Speech therapy helps but I will tell you whats more important than that....Whenever he talks give him your full attention and don't rush him to tell you things, keep your eyes on him and he will be more confident when he speaks to others. Trust me thats what my parents did and it worked I haven't studdered since I was like 6 or 7.

Answer 11

As a child I stuttered EVERY WORD...and where and when I was little I was all ways made fun of and belittled by my parents and siblings, children at school made my life a holy hell...needless to say I do not have very many fond memories of childhood. Only as an adult, and at my own ex pence , I went to speech therapy, And I learned to speak, I speak in public, In Church, even in front of an open forum at the local City Hall... So Get that child all the help he needs