Stuttering is one of the most common reasons for contacting a child psychologist, because parents worry that the child will not be able to adapt normally in society and communicate with other children. Stuttering refers to any disturbance in the rhythm, pace, or smoothness of speech that is caused by various disorders in the speech apparatus, mainly convulsions. When talking, the child is forced to constantly stop or repeat individual syllables or sounds, which interferes with the normal recognition of speech by other people. Most often, stuttering occurs in children 3 years old, but the dangerous period passes only at 5-6 years.
Causes of stuttering
In order to understand how to cure stuttering in a child, first of all, it is necessary to find out the causes of its occurrence. Predisposing factors for stuttering include an existing neuropathic pathology in the parents or the child (for example, diseases affecting the central nervous system, manifestations of enuresis, nightly fears, emotional instability, diseases of the autonomic nervous system). In some cases, stuttering in children 3 years old occurs due to congenital pathology of the speech apparatus, which is sometimes inherited. Also, this or that speech disorder can be caused by one or another lesion of the childās brain that occurred due to birth or intrauterine injuries, asphyxiation, and infectious diseases and injuries.
Turning to the doctor, parents most often believe that physiological disturbances become the cause of speech disorders, but statistics show that stuttering in children 3 years old is most often caused by mental or social causes. This can be a short-term, acute or long-term trauma of the childās psyche, which is most often expressed in the form of stress or severe fright, but sometimes stuttering can begin with great joy. Of no small importance is the process of formation of speech skills, which begins from childhood. Parents are completely responsible for this, who should not burden the childās speech with phrases of complex constructions, complex speech material, their own quick speech. Sometimes stuttering in children of 3 years old becomes a consequence of polyglosia, since it is from this age that many parents give their children to various language courses, as a result of which the conversation in one of the languages āāoccurs with stuttering, but the child speaks the other language without the slightest hesitation.
How speech disturbances occur
Most often, children's stuttering manifests itself suddenly, but there are certain signs that can warn about its development. The alarming moment should be the unusual silence of the child, the refusal to answer questions. This condition can last up to 2 days, after which speech is restored, but with a stutter. This can be prevented if you turn to a specialist during a lull, but in most cases, parents simply consider silence a childish whim. It is necessary to be cautious, and if the child begins to insert extra letters in front of the words, stops in the middle of a word or phrase, has difficulty starting speech.
The right treatment program is the key to recovery
After the childās parents turn to a speech therapist, he will need to collect a childās history, find out the details of the course of childbirth, get acquainted with his lifestyle and environment. Only after this can we talk about the appointment of an individual correctional program, which is carried out by the same specialist. Parent participation in the treatment process should also be taken by the baby's parents, who can work with him at home and whom the child trusts more than any doctor.