DSS1 (14) has started to stutter quite badly - any ideas?

[BonsoirAnna]

DP said that DSS1 used to stutter a little when he was learning to talk (I didn't know DSS1 then) but I had never heard him stutter until a few months ago. We have just spent a fortnight on holiday and it is apparent that DSS1 is stuttering quite badly and that his verbal fluency, which used to be greatly superior to that of DSS2 (11), is now less good that that of DSS2.

I know from googling that stuttering can (re)appear at puberty. Has anyone got any experience of this and how to remedy it?

[mumblechum]

My ds who's also 14 has been stuttering a bit since he was 12. It's predominantly on the phone, when he phones someone and gets their parent it's painful to listen to him saying, Hi, i i i i i it's X here,once he gets going however it's fine.

I am dithering at the moment about getting him some speech therapy. When he first started stuttering, I read somewhere that if you slow down your own speech they'll do the same, as it's a speed of speech thing, they trip up over their words when they're nervous.

A couple of weeks ago he was v. nervous about a drama presentation and was convinced he was going to make a prat of himself stuttering so I just made the obvious suggestion of deep breathing, speaking slowly and trying to ignore the audience and just speak to the other actor as if it were a normal conversation, and he was absolutely fine.

Sorry not much help but you're not alone!

[BonsoirAnna]

Thanks, mumblechum .

I am going to the GP on Monday on other business and I think I will ask her whether she thinks that speech therapy is a good idea and whether she can recommend someone.

[DesperateHousewifeToo]

Phone your local speech and language therapy department and ask if they have a therapist who specialises in stuttering. Ask to refer your dc.

There could be a waiting list, so I would do this sooner rather than later. If they improve in the meantime then you have not lost anything.

(I'm an slt, though not stammering specialist, one of my old colleagues, who is, always used to recommend referral as soon as possible at any age.)

[BonsoirAnna]

Thanks . We are in France, so the health system is not the same, but I like my GP and trust her judgement and will get on to speech therapy asap.