Top 10 Tips for Parents of School-Age Children Who Stutter
- Aug 27, 2024
- 4 min read
If your child stutters, you may have questions about how to best support them. You may even have the urge to figure out how to make the stutter go away. But stuttering is a natural variation in the way people communicate. Every child’s experience is different. While therapy, education, and support can be helpful, the goal is not to “fix” your child. The goal is to help them communicate with confidence and know they are accepted exactly as they are.
There is so much that you, your child, and the people in your child’s life can do to create a supportive communication environment. The National Stuttering Association’s (NSA) goal is to empower families with understanding and hope.
These 10 tips can help you support your child in meaningful ways:
1. Learn about stuttering
Learning about stuttering can help you better understand your child’s experience. Stuttering is complex and can vary from day to day or situation to situation. Knowing the facts can reduce fear, replace outdated myths with unconditional understanding, and help your family respond with patience and support.
The more you learn, the better prepared you will be to support your child.
2. Accept your child’s stuttering
Acceptance is one of the most powerful forms of support you can offer. Your child needs to know that they are loved, valued, and accepted whether they stutter a little, a lot, or somewhere in between.
Stuttering is only one part of who your child is. It does not define their abilities, personality, potential, or future. When children feel accepted at home, they are more likely to develop confidence in themselves and their communication.
3. Create a supportive communication environment
Make time each day for an unrushed conversation with your child. This does not need to be formal or lengthy. Even a few minutes of focused attention can help your child feel heard.
A supportive communication environment is one where everyone has time to speak, interruptions are minimized (or eliminated altogether), and the focus is on authentic communication rather than performance. Slowing down the pace of family conversations can help all children (whether or not they stutter) feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts.
4. Listen to your child’s message
Listen to what your child is saying, not how they are saying it. Show interest in their ideas, stories, questions, and feelings. Eye contact, patience, and calm attention can communicate that their words matter.
Your child needs to know that their voice is valued, including when they stutter. When adults listen without rushing, finishing sentences, or correcting speech, children are more likely to feel safe to speak.
5. Talk openly about stuttering
When your child is comfortable, talk openly and respectfully about stuttering. Stuttering shouldn’t be ignored completely or treated as something to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. Simple, supportive conversations can help your child understand that stuttering is okay to talk about.
You might say things like, “I’m listening to what you have to say,” or “It’s okay to stutter. I want to hear what you have to say.” Open communication helps children know they are not alone and that they can come to you with questions or difficult feelings about their speech.
6. Choose stuttering-affirming therapy
Speech therapy can be an important source of support for some children who stutter. When seeking a speech-language pathologist (SLP), look for someone knowledgeable about stuttering and who understands the importance of acceptance, communication confidence, and emotional well-being.
Helpful therapy should support the whole child. It may include communication strategies, education about stuttering, self-advocacy, emotional support, and ways to handle speaking situations more confidently. Work with your child’s SLP to ensure therapy goals are respectful, individualized, and aligned with your child’s needs.
7. Be involved in the therapy process
Parents and caregivers play an important role in supporting a child who stutters. When your child is in therapy, learn about what they are working on and how you can support those goals at home.
Your child should not have to navigate their stuttering journey alone. Being involved does not mean pressuring your child to use strategies or speak a certain way. It’s learning, listening, encouraging, and showing your child that you are on their side.
8. Advocate with and for your child
You are an important advocate for your child. As you learn more about stuttering, you can help educate teachers, relatives, coaches, and others in your child’s life.
Advocacy can also include helping your child speak up for what they need. Some children may want a teacher to know that they prefer not to be interrupted. Others may want extra time to answer questions, or they may want classmates to understand what stuttering is. Support your child in advocating in ways that feel right for them.
9. Support their emotions, not just speech
Stuttering can come with many feelings, including frustration, embarrassment, fear, pride, confidence, or relief. Your child’s feelings may change over time, and that is okay.
Let your child know that all of their feelings are welcome. Avoid minimizing their experience with phrases like “don’t worry about it” or “just slow down.” Instead, try listening, validating, and asking what kind of support would help. Emotional safety is an important part of communication confidence.
10. Get Connected
Families do not have to face stuttering alone. The NSA provides support, education, and connection for children who stutter and the people who care about them.
Connecting with other families, children, teens, and adults who stutter can be deeply meaningful. It helps children see that they are not the only ones who stutter, and it helps parents learn from others who understand. Community can offer encouragement, belonging, and hope for the whole family.
Learn more and get connected at WeStutter.org today.
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