Articles

A key to develop fluent speech.

By Ms. Chinu Chandy : Speech Language Pathologist and Audiologist

All of us experience some disruptions in our speech especially during stressful situations or while learning a new language. It is a normal phenomenon to have some amount of dis fluency while we speak. These disruptions are hardly noticed by the listeners because listeners usually try to understand the meaning rather than paying attention to the way a person is speaking. When these disruptions become more frequent and go out of the control of the person, it can draw the attention of the listeners. This is what is commonly known as stammering. It can vary in severity from mild to severe.
It is a common observation that young children learning the basic communication skills seem to be very much dis fluent. They tend to take a number of pauses in between and also repeat some words in a conversation. This sometimes becomes a matter of concern for the observant parents and they tend to perceive the child to be dis fluent.This happens during the speech and language leaning, and is called as normal non fluency.

A young child who repeats a sound- f…f…fish or syllable- da…da…daddy or a word- I..I…I am…., etc. is not necessarily a stutterer. The repeating, pausing, backing up, holding on to sounds and general confusion of "thinking and talking" are very normal. During the early years, children have new experiences they want to tell you about without knowing how to put enough words together to express themselves smoothly.

Normal non fluency is considered to be a normal stage in speech and language development which eventually disappears if handled wisely. It is often thought to be a "true" stuttering problem by parents, family doctors and teachers. During these early years, that is, below the age of 3yrs, it is better to use the ‘wait and watch’ principle. The parents and significant others should not pay too much attention to these non fluencies but rather encourage the child to calmly say what the child intends to convey and fill in the missing words if the child requests you to. In case of any doubt, they should take the advice of a speech language pathologist who can differentiate between normal non fluency and true stuttering and make appropriate recommendations.

There are some positive ways to react to a child's normal non fluencies in order to reduce communication stress during this phase of his speech and language development. Keep in mind that approximately 85% of children show hesitations and repetitions at times when talking and parents should avoid over reacting to the ‘problem’ and should pay attention to the child when he talks. Remember that the child wants to share his feelings, experiences and ideas with you.

Keep your own speech concise and simple in style and vocabulary so that he will hear a speaking pattern that is easier to copy. Don't interrupt your child or complete his sentences. All he wants is an attentive listener and he should not have to worry whether he will be allowed to finish without interruption. You can tell your child that even adults have trouble talking sometimes as indeed they do. If your child becomes startled by words he has said non fluently, calmly try to reuse the words in a natural, easy manner and state what your child is trying to say. Tell others not to joke or imitate your child's non fluent speech. This includes brothers, sisters, friends, relatives and baby-sitters. Be very frank about how you want others to react to his non fluency but not in the presence of the child.

If unusual attention is given to these natural non-fluencies, the child may also become concerned about the child’s speech and stumble over sounds and words even more. This in turn increases the parents' and teacher's anxiety, and a vicious cycle is begun.
Even though a certain amount of hesitation and repetition is normal in children's speech, some experts believe that this normal dis fluency may be aggravated by fear, unattainable standards of performance, and emotional pressures. The home environment may be disturbing to the normal development of speech. Homes in which parents quarrel and live in constant battle, or homes where discipline is too strict, too lax or inconsistent are situations which create a sense of insecurity that may well be reflected in the child's speech. Hence it is better not to put the child into too many stressful situations concerning his speech during the early years.

Therefore, normal non-fluencies should not be given undue attention which may lead to stuttering. It is better to prevent the problems and bring about awareness regarding the same so that the right measures can be taken. Despite extensive research in this area, a definitive cause of stuttering has not been identified. It is highly recommended to seek professional help if dis fluency is observed after the age of three. Hence early identification and therapeutic intervention is the key to developing fluent speech.