Many children have speech difficulties. These difficulties could be in conjunction with other problems, such as autism or hearing loss, or could appear in otherwise healthy and confident children. There is a spectrum of speech difficulties that
appear, usually between the ages of 2 and 5, including: stammering/stuttering, difficulty pronouncing certain sounds, and These problems are more common than most people realize. An estimated 5% of preschool children in the UK have a stammer. That’s 188,000 children just with a stutter; there are thousands more with other speech difficulties.
If you have any concerns about your child’s speech and/or language development, don’t ignore them. The earlier that problems are identified, the easier that it is to fix them.
What can you do to help a child with speech difficulties?
1. Seek professional help.
It is important to seek professional help if you are concerned about your child’s speech. Speech and language therapy is very successful, and can really help children. It is always best to check whether they would benefit from speech therapy.
2. Be supportive.
Many children with speech difficulties become self conscious and anxious about speaking. The more upset and nervous they are about their speech, the more difficult it will be for them to speak clearly. Always encourage them and tell them that they are doing a good job. If they start therapy, be supportive of and interested in the process. Make sure that your child feels accepted and loved no matter how many mistakes they make in their speech.
3. Be patient.
It is important for children to keep talking, even if it takes a stuttering child ten minutes to finish a sentence. Just listen patiently. Resist the urge to finish their sentence for them. Continue asking them questions, and express interest in their answers. Also, try to slow down the way that you speak. If you speak more slowly, it not only makes it easier for them to hear the way that you speak, it also makes them feel better about speaking slowly themselves.
4. Be an example.
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