STRATEGIES FOR STUTTERING!
1) Model relaxed speech. This could be best described as "Easy Talking" or as Mr. Roger's style of speech (former kids' TV show). Use natural pausing in between phrases to slow down your rate of speech.
For example, in saying; “I went to the store.”
You would produce this as; “I went (pause) to the store.”
Your inflection can stay the same, and you are not robotically slowing down each word, but rather just inserting pauses at natural phrase point to slow down the overall pace.
2) Reduce any time pressures your child may feel on communication. We do not want the child to feel rushed to get out his/her message. Feeling rushed will translate into more stuttering.
This can be a tough one with siblings who are often "competing" for talking time. Talk with older siblings about this.
3) Patiently wait for your child to finish what he/she is saying. Don't jump in and try to "help" by guessing what he/she is saying.
4) Avoid asking too many open-ended questions. This increases the linguistic demand for young children and may increase their stuttering (because they have to keep track of too many things at once). Instead use more indirect comments to encourage them to talk/respond. For example: "I wonder if _______" and then they can respond if they want to.
