Stuttering in children 3 years and older is a problem,is familiar to many parents. And for the child himself, as he grows up, stuttering brings many unpleasant moments. The child's studies and socialization suffer, his self-esteem decreases, and in especially severe cases a strong inferiority complex may develop, which will remain throughout life. Therefore, this problem should not be ignored under any circumstances. Unfortunately, most often parents do not even try to find the cause of stuttering in children, not to mention the treatment itself, mistakenly believing that everything will go away on its own. Although, in fairness, it should be noted that even speech therapists have not yet been able to identify the exact causes of stuttering.
Address to the doctor - speech therapist
Treatment for stuttering in a child should becomplex and can only be prescribed by a speech therapist. And the sooner the treatment is started, the more successful it will be. Therefore, try to seek help from a speech therapist as soon as possible. Any delay in this case will work against your child. As a rule, modern treatment methods in most cases allow you to rid a child of even severe stuttering. However, the successful outcome of treatment largely depends on the correct behavior of the parents. They must strictly follow a number of rules and recommendations of the speech therapist. By the way, about the speech therapist. For successful treatment of stuttering in children, parents will have to closely interact with the speech therapist for a very long time. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right specialist. After all, if you fail to establish contact with the speech therapist and you cannot fully trust him, it is unlikely that there can be any talk of successful treatment, no matter how high-class the doctor is.
Child's day regimen
As a rule, a stuttering child is extremely active and easily excitable. Therefore, parents should strictly organize the child's daily routine and ensure that it is strictly observed:
- Sleep of the child
Particular attention should be paid to the child's sleep.A child under 7 years old should sleep at least 11 hours at night. Daytime sleep is simply vital - at lunchtime the child should sleep for at least 2 hours. Daytime sleep of a baby has a positive effect on the state of the child's nervous system.
- Baby Games
Of course, cartoons are the most popularpastime of modern children. However, make sure that the child does not spend too much time in front of the TV - this leads to excessive nervous excitability. And therefore, stuttering will become much stronger. Do not forget that there are many useful educational games.
- Walking
It is absolutely unacceptable to ignoreWalks – fresh air is essential for a child’s body. Walk with your child for at least two hours a day – of course, if the weather conditions allow it.
Child speech control
Speech control in speech therapy classesthe child is carried out by a doctor. But a doctor cannot be with the child 24/7, so the rest of the time it is the parents who should monitor the child's speech. Have you noticed that the child has uttered a word or phrase while stuttering? Do not reprimand the child and certainly do not laugh at him. Just finish the word for the child, without focusing on it. In especially severe cases of stuttering in children, speech therapists very often recommend the so-called silence regime. The child can only talk during classes, under the supervision of a speech therapist. The rest of the time the child should try to remain silent. The child can talk only in case of extreme necessity and only in a whisper. This requirement of speech therapists is explained very simply - with the help of stuttering, it is possible to suppress the child's reflex to stutter. During speech therapy classes, the child's speech is correct and without hesitation. The rest of the time the child will be silent, which means that a reflex aimed at correct speech will be developed at a subconscious level. As a rule, such treatment lasts from several months to a year. Of course, it is very difficult to explain this necessity to a child of 3-4 years. However, parents will have to show remarkable imagination, because the success of the treatment depends on it. If you simply forbid the child to talk, this can negatively affect his psyche. Therefore, turn silence into an exciting game.
Behavior of parents
As mentioned above, to eliminate stuttering in a child, parents must follow a number of very important rules:
- Discussion of the problem in the child
Do not discuss this with anyone under any circumstances.there was a problem in front of the child - with friends, relatives. You shouldn't think that a child of 3-4 years old doesn't understand anything yet - the baby hears and understands much more than we, adults, are used to thinking. And he perceives discussion of his shortcomings very painfully.
- A personal example of adults
Carefully monitor your speech in the presence of the child. It should be calm, unhurried, expressive and correct. Your correct speech is very important for the development of the child's speech.
- Psychological situation at home
You can treat stuttering as much as you like with the mostmodern methods, but it will not be cured if the child's family is surrounded by an unfavorable atmosphere. One year, two, three, five years - at any age, the child should live in an atmosphere of harmony and love. Try to minimize all possible conflicts and disagreements. Or, at least, do not sort things out in the presence of the child. Otherwise, stuttering can begin even in a previously healthy child.
- Limitation of the child's social circle
Many speech therapists categorically do not recommend it.During the treatment of stuttering, take the child to visit or receive guests at home. Firstly, the child will be embarrassed by his stuttering, and secondly, for a child of 3-5 years old, the arrival of guests is serious stress, even if positive. Therefore, there is no need to subject your child's nervous system to such stress. And walks on noisy playgrounds should also be avoided. It is desirable for the child to communicate with one or two calm children - peers or younger. Such communication will only benefit the child. Of course, stuttering in a child of 3-5 years is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon. However, parents should not despair - it is quite possible to cure stuttering with the help of a speech therapist. Although, of course, parents will have to make a lot of effort. And patience will come in handy - such treatment takes quite a long period of time. But in the end, you will definitely succeed!
