The speech of an individual is essential to communicate in the social environment. Stuttering is one of the impairments of speech that causes imperfection in speaking. If the condition of speech is left untreated, it may lead to repetitive sounds, word fragmentation or prolonged pauses in the speech.
It occurs mostly in youngsters and affects their speaking muscles. This can be resolved by the application of Speech Therapy, which is directed by a Speech Therapist. It is a challenging process to understand the mental & emotional thoughts of a patient suffering from stuttering. Here, the Speech Therapist performs with their patient as a friend to communicate with them. We’ll find out how.
What Is Speech Therapy?
Speech Therapy works as a boon to treat the communication skills of the patient suffering from stuttering. This therapy is applied to patients by experienced Speech Therapists which is useful for their stuttering including speech and language disorders. A speech therapist, also known as a speech-language pathologist, works with individuals to reduce stuttering symptoms and improve their speaking abilities.
Depending on age, kind of stuttering, and degree of severity, Speech Therapy benefits in many different ways. It follows this:
1. Identifying Symptoms and Patterns
First, a Speech Therapist hears the patient’s speech. They describe the precise symptoms, such as word switching, blocking, or auditory repetition, and record the occurrence and cause. This makes a plan that works for the individual.
2. Teaching Control Techniques
The ability to manage one’s speech is one of the main goals of Speech Therapy. They can practice smoother sentence construction, breath control, and voice slowing techniques with these exercises. Some methods are as follows:
- Pausing between phrases
- Speaking at a slower pace
- Relaxing the muscles used for speech
3. Improving Confidence
Stuttering directly affects the mental & emotional health of the patient. It leads them to a level of anxiety or depression and it allows them to lose self-confidence. Here, a Speech Therapist helps to gain or rebuild the confidence of the individual suffering from stuttering.
4. Working on Physical Movements
When they are stuck on a word, some stutterers may develop behaviours like gripping their fists or blinking. Techniques to lessen these motions and improve the simplicity of speech may be part of Speech Therapy.
5. Family and School Involvement
Teachers and family members are frequently involved in Speech Therapy for youngsters. They are taught how to support children and create a calm environment. They are also taught to avoid putting excessive pressure on children during interactions.
Benefits of Early Therapy
Early intervention has a significant impact. The majority of kids who start Speech Therapy early either fully recover or significantly improve. Therapy can be very helpful for those who stutter frequently. They can learn to control their stuttering and speak more fluently, but they might not completely quit it.
When Is Speech Therapy Needed?
Stuttering hits the personality and causes hesitation, anxiety or depression in the individual. Speech Therapy can be beneficial for the following:
- Children ages 2 to 7 who have stuttering symptoms
- Adults who either start stuttering unexpectedly or who keep stuttering
- Anyone whose everyday life or mental health is impacted by stuttering
Conclusion
Stuttering can be treated with Speech Therapy. Speech pathologists use various methods to improve speech for patients. It is the easiest way to enhance confidence in speaking or communicating in a social atmosphere. Yes, it is possible to get rid of stammering by choosing the correct Speech Therapy through the correct Speech Therapist.
