Fluency (aka stuttering)
Fluency can be thought of simply as a speaker's effortless flow of speech.
- Stuttering/Dysfluency is the condition in which the flow of speech is broken by abnormal blocks (no sound), repetitions (st-st-stuttering), or prolongations (ssssstuttering) of sounds and syllables. There may also be unusual facial and body movements associated with the effort to speak.
- Cause: We still do not know for a fact what causes stuttering. It may have different causes in different people, or it may only occur when a combination of factors comes together. Possible influences include incoordination of the speech muscles; rate of language development; the way parents and others talk to the child; and other forms of communication and life stress.
- Assessment includes:
- Frequency of prolongations, repetitions, blocks
- Secondary characteristics - physical behaviors, avoidance, frustration
- Rate of speech
- Effect on communication / education
Red Flags/Primary Characteristics
Your child may have a stuttering problem if he/she:
- repeats syllables or whole words (ex. t t test)
- Uses interjections – he/she uses too many fillers (ex. um, uh,)
- sometimes drags out the sounds in words (ex. s---un, baaall)
- is aware of a stuttering problem
- hesitates on words
- shows additional signs of struggle (ex. eye blinks, tapping finger/feet, poor eye contact, facial grimaces)
Traditional therapy approach includes:
- Relaxation
- Breathing techniques
- Using easy onset of speech
- Using slow, stretched rates
- Do not interrupt/rush/criticize when your child is speaking
- Do not finish his/her sentence
- Model slow easy speech
- Do not force him/her to speak in stressful situations
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