Counseling Parents

Counseling Parents of a Child with Normal Disfluencies

If a child appears to be normally disfluent, parents should be reassured that these disfluencies are like the mistakes every child makes when he or she is learning any new skill, like walking, writing, or bicycling. Parents should be advised to accept the disfluencies without any discernable reaction or comment.

Eliminating Stereotypes About Stuttering

  • People who stutter are as intelligent and well-adjusted as non-stutterers.

     

  • Don't assume that people who stutter are prone to be nervous, anxious, fearful, or shy. While stuttering behaviors may sometimes resemble the behaviors of non-stutterers who experience these emotions, people who stutter exhibit the same full range of personality traits as those who do not.

     

  • Stuttering is not the result of emotional conflict or fearfulness.

     

Etiology

Although the etiology of stuttering is not fully understood, there is strong evidence to suggest that it emerges from a combination of constitutional and environmental factors. Geneticists have found indications that a susceptibility to stuttering may be inherited and that it is most likely to occur in boys.1,2,3 Further support for inheritance comes from twin studies that have demonstrated a higher concordance for stuttering among both members of identical twin pairs than fraternal twin pairs.4,5 Congenital brain damage is also suspected to be a predisposing factor in some cases.1 For a large number of children who stutter, however, there is neither family history of the disorder nor clear evidence of brain damage.

Finding Help for Stuttering

Newly discovered families give impetus to genetics research

by Lisa Scott-Trautman, Ph.D.

Q: How can you tell if your child has a stuttering problem?

Resources for Teachers

We have compiled a list of resources on stuttering therapy, teasing, and building self-esteem in children. The list includes resources for children, parents, teachers, and speech-language pathologists. You may also call the Stuttering Foundation at 800-992-9392 for a list of support groups.

Ordering information:

Lewis Carrol suffered from stuttering

alt textThe recent Disney version of Lewis Carroll's classic, Alice in Wonderland, garnered a great deal of media hype. Even though the mainstream media has not made mention that Carroll was a person who stuttered, his family history gives credence to the discovery of the genetic link to stuttering.

Library Resources - Link to PDF

 

Library Resources

SFA publications are provided free of any charges to public libraries.

If your local library doesn't have our newest materials, please give them a library request card. Click here to download it.

See what one Indiana library is doing to help those who stutter. 

2010 FAME Essay Winner

 

My Disability Lesson

By Andrew Feese
2010 FAME Essay Winner

This is a new age for people who are disabled. There are electronic aides, there are therapists, and there are exceptions.

Palm Desert Golf Benefit

Palm Desert Golf Event Benefits
Memphis-Based Stuttering Foundation

Golfers gathered April 22-24 to play with golf greats Al Geiberger (Mr. 59) and special honoree Ken Venturi, former U.S. Open Champion and CBS commentator for 35 years.

The Mr. 59 Invitational is held each year to commemorate the extremely low score of 59 shot by Al Geiberge "the first 59 shot in an official PGA Tour event" at the 1977 Danny Thomas-Memphis Classic in Memphis.

FAQ's for Parents

What should I do when my child stutters?

The most important thing to do when someone is stuttering is be a good communicator yourself.

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