Stuttering is a speech disorder that affects over 300 million Americans today. That's 1 or every 100 people in the US. People who stutter encounter more problems than their own speech difficulties when they talk with other people. It's easy to be thrown off-guard when speaking with speech and language problems, whether it's stuttering or something else. Here are several important things to keep in mind when speaking with someone who stutters.
Firstly, a little information about stuttering. Stuttering is a motor speech disorder where speech is disrupted at the beginning, middle, or even the end of words and sentences. Some dysfluencies are repetitions of part or all of a word (li-li-light, or maybe-maybe-maybe for instance), some are stops or blocks, where the stutterer seems to get "stuck" on a single sound or movement. Stuttering may also be accompanied by facial grimaces, rapid blinking, tics, or other movements. There is no "cure" for stuttering. Some people who stutter may overcome it to the point where it doesn't affect their everyday life, but there is no magic pill or therapy.
Secondly, a little mythbusting. Stuttering does not mean someone is not smart. It does not mean that they are nervous, ill-prepared, shy, timid, or damaged. People who stutter are no more likely to have psychological problems than people who do not stutter (Stuttering Foundation). Stuttering is not contagious. Stuttering affects approximately 1% of the general population. ~20% of children will go through a period of development where they have frequent stuttering behaviors that are severe enough to concern their parents. 5% of those kids will have dysfluent periods that lasts 6 months or more. All but 1% of children will outgrow this period of dysfluency.
Quick Tips for Talking to People Who Stutter:
1. First and foremost, treat the stutterer with the same dignity and respect you afford to all of your conversation partners. RESPECT is key.
2. Pay attention to the CONTENT of what the person is saying, not the way it is coming out.
3. Resist the temptation to finish your conversation partner's sentences or fill in words. People who stutter know what they want to say, they just need more time to get it out.
4. Telling a stutterer to slow down, relax, or take a deep breath usually does NOT help and often demeans them.
5. Keep natural eye contact with your conversational partner. Natural does not mean staring at them or avoiding eye contact. Be mindful of how long you typically hold eye contact while talking, and do that.
6. Use a more relaxed and slightly slower speech rate yourself. This does not mean an exaggerated slow rate, but relax and slow down a bit. This may help relieve the "time pressure" of rapid conversations.
7. People who stutter often have more difficulty speaking on the phone. If you answer the phone and hear a gasping or sputtering sound, you may be talking to a stutterer. Be patient.
8. Allow pauses. We often feel a need to fill every pause in a conversation. People who stutter may need a bit longer to respond. Let them have that time. Pauses are okay.
9. FOR KIDS: Use shorter, simpler sentences when talking to kids. Longer sentences are more difficult to listen to and to understand.
10.
I really tried to come up with a tenth, but then I decided to ask you instead. Stutterers out there, what else do you wish people knew or did when talking to you? People who know and love stutterers, any more tips?
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