Are stuttering therapies succesful?

We hear from many parents who are concerned that stuttering therapy may not help their child. If your child has stuttered longer than a year, it is less likely that the stuttering will ever go away completely. However, a speech pathologist who is knowledgeable about stuttering can almost always help children who stutter make positive changes in how they talk.

As you work with the speech pathologist to meet your child’s goals, you will also set your criteria for success. Becoming an effective communicator and living successfully with stuttering should be among the most important of these criteria.

Goals for Therapy

Stuttering therapy for children usually means learning to talk in an easier manner, and to build positive emotions, and attitudes about talking. As a result, length and type of therapy can vary greatly depending on your child’s needs. A list of sample therapy goals for children includes:

Reducing the frequency of stuttering;

Decreasing the tension and struggle of stuttering moments;

Working to decrease word or situation avoidances;

Learning more about stuttering; and,

Using effective communication skills such as eye contact or phrasing.

Working together with a speech pathologist who is knowledgeable about stuttering will help your child learn to talk successfully and well.