Question:
My niece is 8 and has a lot of word and phrase repetitions on starts. She has had no therapy and her mother is in denial. She is beginning to show some secondary systems. What would you recommend?
Answer:
I think if you're seeing secondary behaviors now, then it is probably time for a speech evaluation. However, if you're in the role of being an aunt here, I would sit down with the parent and talk about why you're recommending an evaluation. If the parent is not on board with you recommending that then it is not going to be successful. The parent has to be the one to come to the conclusion that this is what is needed. So, I think it will be important to focus on educating the parent on how stuttering develops. Saying to the parent, “What you were seeing before was maybe more typical or more age‑appropriate and you did the right thing by watching it and waiting to see if the child would outgrow it. However, I'm becoming a little bit more concerned because I'm seeing some secondary behaviors. I'm seeing some stronger reactions. I think it is probably time for an evaluation. These things indicate to me that the stuttering is becoming a little more advanced and might need to be treated. Treatment outcomes are much better for stuttering when it is treated earlier.
Craig Coleman received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at the University of Pittsburgh. He has served as President of the Pennsylvania Speech-Language-Hearing Association (PSHA) and on the Legislative Council of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Craig currently serves as a Clinical Coordinator in the Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Treating Young Children Who Stutter: A Family-Focused Approach
