Finding Help

by Lisa A. Scott, Ph.D.

Q: How can you tell if your child has a stuttering problem?
A: If your child has been stuttering for only a few days or weeks, it’s very alarming but it is probably best to wait to see how the stuttering changes. Waiting a month or two does not seem to affect how well your child will respond to later treatment and you might be surprised at how quickly the stuttering goes away.

However, if the stuttering has persisted for longer than two months, is getting worse instead of better, or went away and is back again, we recommend that parents complete the Risk Factor chart. If 2 or more of those factors are true for your child, contact a speech-language pathologist to find out whether your child should be screened.

Q: What can parents do to help?
A: The first thing you can do to help your child is to get information about stuttering. The more informed you are, the more you will be able to make decisions about your child’s needs. There are many materials and resources available on this website, or you can call 1-800-992-9392 or click here to request more information.

If you have decided you would like your child to be screened for a stuttering problem, call either your local school district to find out about speech screenings or the local hospital; also, check the Stuttering Foundation’s free referral list of speech-language pathologists around the country who specialize in stuttering. A third recommendation is to make a daily rating of your child’s stuttering, on a scale of 1 – 10, with a 1 = no stuttering that day, and 10 = the worst stuttering you have ever heard. This rating can be made on the family calendar or in a planner if you keep one. That way, you can see over time whether the stuttering is getting any better, and if there are any circumstances (e.g., stuttering is worse on the weekends, when your child is out of a normal daily routine) that will help you understand what factors might be contributing to changes in stuttering.

Finally, if your child shows signs of frustration or of being aware of the stuttering, it’s perfectly ok to say, “Wow, some words are hard to say, aren’t they! Sometimes my words are hard to say too,” or make a comment about how sometimes when we’re learning things, it takes some practice. It’s ok to acknowledge if your child is struggling and it’s important that you let your child know this is normal when learning new skills. Try not to make a big deal out of it and don’t let your child believe that it is bad to stutter. The essential message should be that it’s just the way words come out sometimes and that’s ok. We’re just learning new words and how to say them.

Q: When should you get professional help for a stuttering child?
A: If your child has been stuttering 3-6 months and is older than age 3, it’s a good idea to have your child’s speech and language skills evaluated. Even if you and the speech- language pathologist decide that therapy isn’t needed at this time, you now have a baseline example of your child’s communication skills that you can compare back to later. If your child is still stuttering a year after you first noticed it, speech therapy may be needed. Keep in mind, though, that it’s not uncommon for older children to take a break from therapy at times. For older children, therapy is probably needed if your child is showing reluctance to participate in the classroom, having difficulty interacting with peers, or the stuttering is getting in the way of your child completing regular classroom activities like show-and-tell or giving a book report.

Q: What does professional therapy involve?
A: Professional therapy for stuttering usually involves helping your child learn an easier way to talk, and then learning to use these skills in many different places (at home, at school). It should also involve helping your child become the best communicator possible, including being a good listener and not interrupting. There is no known cure for stuttering, but we have our best success with children who come to therapy while they are still young and have not learned that talking can be hard or a negative experience. In addition, even though we might not “cure” the problem, we can always help the child learn to manage his stuttering in a way that will help him be confident and willing to share his ideas, whenever and wherever he wants to share them.

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Byron Pitts

Byron Pitts has brought much attention to stuttering with his memoir, Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges, released in September, 2009. The book not only details his speech difficulties, but also his illiteracy until age 12 and his unstable family life. Pitts overcame the odds to become the chief national correspondent with ABC News.

Bruce Willis

While the world knows Bruce Willis as an A-list actor, few know that he struggled with stuttering throughout his first 20 years.

Walter Bruce Willis was born in 1955 in West Germany to his German mother, Marlene, and his American GI father, David Willis. The family settled in David’s hometown of Penns Grove, New Jersey in 1957, and the couple has three other children.

Bill Walton

From BillWalton.com

Thank you for your interest in my life long problem with my speech and communication skills. I was a very shy and reserved young man who could not speak at all without severely stuttering until I was 28 years old. Always a success in the classroom and on the basketball court, I took refuge in the things that I did well as a youngster. A straight A student, my athletic abilities covered the deficiencies that limited my overall growth and development. The game of basketball was my religion, the gym my church. It was a convenient way of avoiding my responsibilities of developing my human relation skills.

When I was 28, a chance encounter at a social event with Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Glickman completely changed my life in so many ways that things have never been the same since, nor have they ever been better. That day, in a very brief, private conversation (one way, mind you, since I literally could not speak at the time) Marty explained, patiently and concisely, that talking, communicating was a skill not a gift or a birthright and that like any skill, whether it be sports, music, business or whatever, needed to be developed over a lifetime of hard work, discipline, organization and practice. Marty gave me some simple tips that day and then encouraged me to take those keys and apply them to methods of learning that I had received from the special teachers that I had come across in my life, particularly the 6 Hall of Fame basketball coaches that I had played for throughout my career. The beginning of my whole new life was as simple as that. No gimmicks, tricks or shortcuts. Just the realization that with some help, guidance and a lot of hard work that I too could do what seemed so easy, simple and natural to everyone else, yet seemed impossibly out of my reach and comprehension.

James Earl Jones

Actor James Earl Jones, a Broadway, television and movie star, was well-known for his voice as Darth Vader in Star Wars and his book Voices and Silences. Jones spoke some of the most memorable lines in the history of American film, but the man known for his voice was once afflicted with a severe stutter.

Darren Sproles

Darren Sproles, a former player for The Philadelphia Eagles, the New Orleans Saints and the San Diego Chargers, made history in 2007 when he became the first player in NFL history to return a kickoff and a punt for his first two NFL touchdowns in the same game. In 2021, he was selected to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.