Frequently asked questions

Some children respond better to speech therapy than others for a variety of reasons. Ask the therapist for a time to discuss in detail your child’s overall development, and their confidence with speaking. They may have made other gains, such as increased confidence and acceptance of stuttering. Even though you may be disappointed, try to focus on the positive things about your child, and help him develop confidence in expressing himself and building relationships. Children benefit greatly from conversation and communication at home with his family. He may choose to return to therapy when he is older.

School can be a challenge for children who stutter, especially at recess and lunchtimes when there is less direct supervision than in the classroom. In elementary school, first contact your child’s classroom teacher. Explain how stuttering affects your child, and describe the incidents of teasing and bullying, and the effects of these on your child. Ask how issues of bullying and aggressive behaviour are discussed within the whole class.

If you are unsatisfied with the response of the teachers, the next step is to explain your concerns to the principal. You may have to advocate for your child quite a bit, depending on the situation.

In secondary school, speak to the head of year, teachers your child likes and respects, or a guidance counsellor. Older children may be more reluctant to report incidents, but threats of violence must be reported. As well as helping your older child to develop strategies for dealing with bullying - such as using humor in response - or walking away from the bully - discuss ways to reach out to others and develop friendships.

More information:

• Kid's Health
• Anti-bullying program for children who stutter

It is recommended that children who exhibit stuttering receive speech therapy as soon as possible. More than half of young children who stutter grow out of it, but that is little consolation for the parents of those who don't. There is no way to tell if a child's stuttering is a temporary phase that will pass or if it will be permanent.

Any registered speech-language pathologist in your community who treats children would be of help. A treatment specifically to help children who stutter, the Lidcombe method (see below), has been shown to be very effective. The CSA site features a listing of provincial associations of speech-language pathologists. You can contact them for more information about your best options for speech therapy and intensive courses for children that may be offered near you. Sometimes children can receive speech therapy through the public school system or your local general hospital, at no charge. There is usually a waiting list for these free services, if they are offered. Enquire in your community.

There is a lot you can do as a parent to help your child to communicate more easily, though it is hard when you see them struggle. Don’t panic or try to think of an event or situation that might have triggered the stuttering.

Treatments that combine methods for speaking more easily and reducing the anxiety around stuttering are usually most effective. For adults, it is very helpful to work with a specialist speech and language pathologist to set goals and deal with issues of self-identity and personal change. Two to four week courses with a small group of people who stutter generally show the best results. Sessions once a week can also be highly effective - and are often more practical.

The best treatments for children who stutter are those where parents and caregivers are closely involved under the guidance of a specialist speech and language pathologist. There are two main types of therapy, depending on the child’s needs. One type helps the child to speak more fluently and the other type aims to reduce the demands on a child to speak.

1. To learn ways to speak more easily and to reduce anxiety and negative feelings.
2. To discuss your needs, fears and goals with the therapist before and during therapy.
3. To work closely with other people who stutter - if you are doing an intensive course. The support of others is a highly valuable part of therapy.
4. Lots of taking. Expect to develop strategies for successfully dealing with stuttering, to practice speech techniques and use them in real life speaking situations.
5. Particularly after an intensive course, you might see a big improvement. For the changes to be long-term and for any setbacks to be dealt with, you will need an action plan.
6. Maintenance. It usually takes several months to thoroughly learn new speaking and communication skills. If you have a false sense of security and don’t work on an action plan, expect to fall back into old patterns. Many clinics offer refresher courses.

While the root cause is not fully known, brain functioning (neurology), genetics, and environmental factors all play a role.  Because speaking and communication are highly complex and depend on interaction with others, many factors can make stuttering worse in some situations. These factors include high expectations, frustration, listener reactions and anxiety about stuttering.

Current brain research indicates that there are neurological differences in people who stutter. For instance, there is more brain activity during speech - especially in the right hemisphere - compared to that of a person who does not stutter. It is in dispute whether these neurological conditions cause stuttering or are caused by the brain trying to compensate for stuttering.

The SpeechEasy is a delayed auditory feedback device (DAF) that has been shown to reduce stuttering in some people in some situations. The effect of DAF on stuttering was illustrated in the movie the King's Speech. The modern version is worn like a hearing aid, and feeds back a person's voice as he speaks with a micro-second delay. Speech pathologists recommend it be used in conjunction with speech therapy techniques. It is not a treatment per se, as the effects are not present when one is not wearing the device. The degree of effectiveness varies depending on the person and the situation.

Because it has to be personally fitted to you, the cost of the SpeechEasy is high, more than $4,000, and is not covered by provincial health care programs.

For more information:

• CSA Article on SpeechEasy 1
• CSA Article on SpeechEasy 2

Treatment is available for children who stutter in primary school. Contact provincial-organizations, provincial association of speech-language pathologists, for more information. Sometimes children can receive speech therapy through the public school system or your local general hospital, at no charge.

There are two main types of therapy for preschool children. In both types, parents are shown at therapy sessions how to made adjustments in the environment at home to help their child to speak more easily.

One type is called Demands and capacities, where the goal is to reduce the demands on a child’s capacity to speak fluently, and to increase the child’s level of spontaneous - or normal - fluency.

In this model, parents are encouraged to talk with their child, not to their child, and to practice asking questions in a way that reduces the pressure on the child to speak.

The other type is called Lidcombe, which focuses more directly on a child’s speech. The main part of the therapy is the feedback that parents give to children during everyday interactions, after being trained by a speech language pathologist. The results of this therapy have been very positive.

Parents learn to give appropriate feedback at specific times, with most of the attention given to stutter free speech (smooth talking) to help the child recognise smooth talking and receive positive feedback for it. Stuttering is occasionally pointing out in a positive way. The research shows that after 22 weeks, 9 out of 10 children will be almost stutter-free.