FLUENCY PROMISE Years Speech-Language Pathologist

FLUENCY Terms used to talk about fluency: -fluency -dysfluency -stuttering -smooth speech

NORMAL DYSFLUENCIES VS. STUTTERING

RESEARCH  No known cause for dysfluency  80% of children will go through some period of dysfluency and out- grow it (Stuttering Foundation of America)

TYPES OF DYSFLUENCIES  REPETITIONS  INTERJECTIONS  PAUSES OR BLOCKS  REVISIONS  PROLONGATIONS  TENSION

BASIC FACTS  Not a psychological or intelligence disorder  More common in males  Runs in families  Relatively rare  Affects all socio-economic groups

BASIC FACTS  Children do not copy stuttering  Parents do not cause stuttering  Aggravated by stress  No quick cures  Can be controlled by therapy and environmental changes

STRATEGIES  Don’t show alarm or anxiety  Give extra time  Don’t ask them to slow down, take a deep breath or start over  Model a slower rate  Model pauses  Model shorter sentences

MORE STRATEGIES  Model quieter voice  Reduce number of questions  Create a relaxed environment (special “talk time”)  Acknowledge difficulties  Watch for teasing

WHEN TO SEEK HELP  If speaking becomes physically difficult for the child  If the child displays “secondary characteristics” E.g. twitches, grimaces, blinks or other movements occur at time that child is dysfluent