Supporting a Child Who Stutters

Positive Impacts on Children Who Stutter

If you’re an adult in the life of a chile who stutters, you can play an important role in the development of their relationship with communication and speaking confidence. Immediate family, extended family, teachers, and friends can have a positive impact on the communication of a child who stutters.

Valuing Communication

The example adults provide will shape what children internalize. Stuttering while speaking is not in the control of a child who stutters. Adults can demonstrate a value on the message of communication, not how it’s communicated (with or without stuttering). Make it clear that what a child says is important through how you talk about stuttering and your body language while listening to stuttering. Avoid asking a child to try to be fluent or prompting them to say something without stuttering.

Opportunities for Support

If a child makes negative comments about their speech or stuttering, adults have the opportunity to re-frame those thoughts verbally. For example, if a child says “I can’t talk” and adult could respond with “You might get stuck, but it’s just your voice. People love what you have to say”.

Ashley Cubberly M.A. CCC-SLP