When To See A Pediatric Speech Therapist For Stuttering
What do James Earl Jones, Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Bruce Willis, and Carly Simon have in common? They are among many famous and influential people who stuttered during their lifetime. If you are a parent with a stuttering child, you may be faced with the dilemma of when to see a pediatric speech therapist for stuttering.
FAQs And Conflicting Advice
You might be wondering if those celebrities mentioned above had speech therapy as a child or later on in life, or did they just grow out of it. Maybe you have heard this advice from friends or relatives about your own child. “Give it time,” they say. The child is yours, so it’s your decision.
Stuttering, sometimes known as stammering, is a communication disorder in which one’s speech is broken up with repetitions. There may also be unusual stoppages plus facial or body movements like tics.
- More than 70 million people worldwide stutter and there are 3 million Americans who stutter.
- Stuttering affects four times as many males as females.
- 5% of children go through a period of stuttering that lasts 6 months or more.
- 75% will recover while 1% have long lasting issues.
- The exact cause of stuttering is unknown.
When To Seek Help From A Pediatric Speech Therapist
A speech and language pathologist or therapist is a professional who will assess your child on an individual basis and give advice about ways to manage the speech problems. The goal is to concentrate on a healthy attitude about speech, and reduce the severity and frequency of the stuttering.
Many children who don’t get help at an early age become adult stutterers.
If parents notice that their child’s stutter lasts longer than 6 months, or if the stutter begins after the age of three and a half, they should engage a pediatric speech therapist.
Contact TLC Pediatric Therapy at (407) 905-9300 if your child continues to stutter for more than 6 months. We can help.