If you are the parent or relative of a child who stutters, you may have questions about what to do or how to help your child. You've come to the right place! The NSA can help you to find support- in one way or another. Explore some of the ways...
Information
Knowledge is key!! Understanding the facts and myths about stuttering is a great way to support your ideas about what is happening when we stutter. By following the links on the right, you can find useful information about helping preschoolers, school-age children and teenagers who stutter. The main link in each section contains useful information about stuttering. You will also find helpful suggestions about how you can help your child improve his or her speech and communication through our "Top Ten Lists" and publications. Click here to view our monthly newsletters that members get mailed to their house or you can view them online for free.
Local Support Groups
Meet other teens or parents of teens who stutter. Meeting people face to face is the greatest way to learn that if you stutter, you are not alone. Click here to see if there is a group of people who stutter that meet in your area. There are adult groups, NSA Kids groups and TWST (NSA Teens Who STutter ) groups. If there is not one in your area, keep checking, as new groups are forming fast. If you are interested to start one, contact us and we can walk you through the stops to get a group started in your area.
Email Groups
NSA’s Online Yahoo email groups are a great place for you to meet other people without having to leave your house. We have a group specifically for parents and another one for teens. This is a great way to talk to each other about tough issues or just talk to other people who know how you feel. Click here to contact us to join the parent yahoo group.
Membership
Besides supporting a great cause, being a member of the NSA will ensure you to stay connected to the latest and greatest happenings in the stuttering community. Become a contributing member of the NSA today!
Therapy
It is really important to pair stuttering support group involvement with therapy from a qualified speech and language pathologist stuttering specialist. “Stuttering Specialists" are speech-language pathologists who have been recognized by the "Specialty Board on Fluency Disorders" as having achieved advanced training and clinical skill for working with people who stutter and their families. A list of board-recognized specialists in fluency disorders can be found on the website of the Specialty Board on Fluency Disorders by clicking here. If there is not one in your area, we might be able to connect you with one who is working toward this specialty.
Ask the Expert
Have Q’s? The NSA has people on staff and volunteers who can answer your questions. The teen advisory council can respond to teen issues while we have parents and SLPs to also available to talk to one on one. Feel free to ask us anything. Click here. Frequently asked questions/answers can be read here.
Educating your Pediatrician
As many of you know, pediatricians and family physicians are the first healthcare professionals that parent’s turn to when they initially have concerns about their child’s stuttering. Unfortunately, many pediatricians and family physicians are unfamiliar with childhood stuttering and are unable to provide parents with the appropriate advice and information.
Recently, the NSA has created a brochure specifically for pediatricians and family physicians called Childhood Stuttering: Information for Pediatricians and Family Physicians. The NSA is very proud of this brochure. It has useful, concise information that will be extremely helpful to pediatricians answering questions from parents about their child’s stuttering.
An outreach program is currently underway to educate pediatricians and family physicians about childhood stuttering who are in a unique position to provide accurate information to parents of children who stutter. With the correct information and a basic understanding of childhood stuttering they can also assist parents in making the appropriate choices regarding a speech evaluation with a speech-language pathologist. Recent studies indicate that early intervention with speech therapy increases the likelihood of a child developing normal fluency. Therefore it is critical that pediatricians and family physicians have the most current and accurate information about stuttering that is available. Early intervention can have a profoundly positive impact on a child who stutters.
The NSA has a small group of PARENT VOLUNTEERS who will be reaching out to pediatricians in their area to provide them with this new brochure. Also, talk with your child’s SLP, they may be willing to place some brochures in their office waiting-room. In doing so, people may be inclined to browse though them and pass one along to their pediatrician. If you would like to help get the word out, please contact, Stephanie Coppen at delaney72@sbcglobal.net. Together we CAN make a difference!
