There are many children who have problems with their speech from an early age. In this article I am going to write about the speech impediment known as stuttering.

Stuttering normally starts for people in childhood and is often referred to as a childhood stutter. This is often a very worrying time for parents and the child and it is difficult to know where to look for help. There are many different views and advice given to the parents. Some people advise to ignore the problem as it is likely to go away of its own accord in the future and that to over highlight the situation can do more damage than good. Others suggest an early course of speech therapy.

Stuttering comes in many forms. Family and friends may not even be aware that a person they know has a stuttering problem. The person who has the stutter may be a closet stutterer who is very good at hiding it. They do this by avoiding certain words or by finding alternative words. This takes a lot of effort though and it comes as more of a shock to people when the person does actually stutter.

Not all people who stutter are able to do this however and have what is seen as a more severe stutter.

A stutter would normally occur more when a person is:

under pressure

very tired

meeting new people

speaking in an uncomfortable situation

asking questions, for example asking for directions

introducing people

Stuttering therapy:

People who have a stutter have different options when seeking help. Most people would first try a speech therapist or speech pathologist. Alternatively they can attend a speech course which can be in a group or on a one to one basis.

I personally prefer and advise one to one stutter courses as I believe every person who has a stutter is an individual and has their own individual type stutter.