Amman — A five-year-old girl began stuttering, frequently repeating the first letter of a word. Her parents tried to help her pronounce words without stuttering by asking her to repeat each word several times. However, this increased her anxiety and stuttering, making the problem worse than before.
اضافة اعلان
A young man recounts his experience with stuttering, explaining that he witnessed his friend drowning when he was seven years old and has stuttered ever since. There are other similar stories.
The causes of stuttering in children may be physical, including difficulties with auditory perception that lead children to receive inaccurate feedback about their own speech. This is known as the auditory interference theory. Neurological factors may also affect the flow of speech and a child’s ability to speak fluently.
Psychosomatic factors may also play a role, as psychological influences can affect speech production. This may involve difficulties with the muscles associated with speech, such as those of the lips and jaw.
Other contributing factors include parents’ high expectations and their insistence that children speak fluently before the age of five. Pressuring or forcing a child to speak smoothly by asking them to repeat words without stuttering or drawing attention to the way they speak can increase their anxiety. Parents may also assume that children should speak fluently by a certain age without taking individual differences in growth and development into account.
Children between the ages of two and five may experience stuttering, which can be a normal part of this developmental stage.
A child’s stuttering may also result from psychological pressure, stress and growing up in a stressful environment. Situations and events that increase a child’s anxiety, as well as frequent and intense arguments within the family, may increase the likelihood of stuttering, particularly in children who are already predisposed to it.
A child’s fear of stuttering while speaking can itself increase anxiety and, consequently, make the stuttering worse. Similarly, trying to speak quickly to avoid appearing slow may contribute to more frequent stuttering.
Stuttering may also become a way of expressing fear or resistance. Some children experience increased stuttering as an important event approaches that makes them anxious, such as a visit to the dentist or returning to school after medical leave.
Suppressing feelings of anger or going through painful experiences may also trigger or worsen stuttering. These experiences can include witnessing a death or violence, or seeing someone close to them become ill.
Among the effective approaches to helping children who stutter is encouraging them to speak slowly and explaining why this can help. They can be taught to begin each syllable calmly, breathe from the abdomen rather than the chest, and practise these techniques repeatedly.
Children can also be taught to use a segmented, rhythmic style of speech. Many children enjoy and respond well to this approach, which can be effective in cases of severe stuttering.
In addition, practising proper breathing before speaking can help keep the vocal folds open and promote relaxation. Relaxing the muscles and breathing correctly can help children speak more fluently and smoothly.
Parents and caregivers are advised to keep children away from stressful situations that trigger anxiety, avoid comments about their stuttering or criticizing the way they speak, and refrain from finishing their sentences or words for them. Children should be given enough time to finish speaking, with adults listening attentively rather than showing frustration or rushing them when they stutter. Acceptance and encouragement during conversation are essential.
Children’s self-confidence should also be strengthened by praising their ideas and participation, rather than focusing solely on their speech fluency. They should be encouraged to take part in social activities without feeling that they are being watched or judged.
Resource: Al-Ghad. Reportig: Shatha Al-Mubaideen
