Tips to stop a child stammering

[Jjcrackers]

My DS has just turned 6. He has had lots of speech therapy in the past (very prem) and was doing well but recently he has developed a stammer - just at the start of sentences when he's trying to get his words out.

Any idea how I correct it? I don't want to make him feel self conscious about speaking. It isn't his favourite past time at the best of times.

Is it where is brain is going faster than his mouth?
If it's this try getting him to slow down and thing about the words before talking.

I knew a child at playgroup who stammered, EXCEPT when he was talking on behalf of a teddy, or a tractor (tractors were a favourite thing with him.) So, he wasn't being himself, but someone or something else, and then he didn't seem to stammer.

And as Jason said, if he can pause and think of the sentence he wants to say before starting it, that may help. Or use a favourite teddy or toy, and talk 'through' that.

For children who don't like writing at school, I often suggest using a tape recorder or phone that records, to get their ideas down, and then write or type later, from the recording. So I don't know if that might help. Conversely, though, it might draw his attention to the stammer, and upset him more.

Are there certain situations that seem to make it worse? Is he able to read aloud from a book, without stammering?

He can read without stammering. It is just when starts a sentance.

I will try the slow down trick and talking through his toy. Thanks

So presumably it is a 'brain' issue, rather than a 'mouth and vocal chords' one.

Let us know if it improves at all.

Dd went through a recent phase of stuttering at the beginning of sentences - it lasted a few months. I never mentioned anything to her we all just ignored it as that's what I had heard (can't remember now where from) the best thing to do was.

Elocution lessons helped me when I was little. Lots of rhymes etc made it fun.

Is it mainly 'A a a a a a a and'? If so, it could be that he just has so much info in his head that he wants to talk about and doesn't know where to start. So, it's not so much a stammer as catching your attention whilst he gets his thoughts in order. ds started doing this at roughly the same age. We largely ignored it (just be very patient with him) and it lasted roughly a year or so.

My younger brother had a similar stammer. Apparently it has to do with breathing. He had speech therapy , but as a teen he saw a specialist who helped him to control his breathing and therefore the stammer. He is now 27 and rarely stammers.

Try the BSA website for some tips and contact SLT if it persists.

Try to make him comfortable and dont try too hard to "fix" him, giving the message there is something to be nervous about, making him more likely to stammer...

Stammering isn't a breathing problem, but relaxed breathing helps general relaxation and reduces bodily tension.