Parent/Caregiver Support and Education
Hi all,
My name is Sarah and I am a second year SLP graduate student. I am currently in a fluency class and it is very fascinating. My professor has taught us all so much, but I would love to hear the opinions of other professionals as well. I was curious about parent and caregiver support. This is a big part of therapy, especially if the child is young. How do we go about this? Also, I am curious what your favorite resources are for parent support and education. Fluency can be a very challenging, but rewarding area of the field and I would love to know how I could support the parents as they navigate this journey! I would love to hear your thoughts!
Thank you,
Sarah
Hi, Sarah, Welcome to the ISAD Conference, and thank you for your questions! You are absolutely right that parents and caregivers need support, too. Supporting a child who stutters also means supporting their family.
I am a big fan of FRIENDS: The National Association of Young People Who Stutter. They offer excellent support for parents and families, including a parent support group. Their website is a helpful place to explore resources. The National Stuttering Association and the Stuttering Foundation are also useful resources.
FRIENDS offers a parents support group. https://friendswhostutter.org/virtual-parent-groups/
My absolute favourite for parents and teachers are the materials by the Blank Center; like the series (with worksheets!) When I talk, I stutter.
Hi Sarah,
To second what has been said already, I so appreciate your point that supporting caregivers is an essential part of supporting children who stutter. One shift I have made in my own practice is to more deliberately set aside devoted time to meet with caregivers. Many of these conversations can happen with the child present, but it can also be useful for parents to have a chance to voice fears and anxieties they may not feel comfortable to explore in front of their child.
One of my favorite resources is this simple handout from the Sisskin Stuttering Center about focusing on communication over fluency:
https://www.sisskinstutteringcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Handout-What-and-What-Not-to-Praise-en.pdf
(Many other useful handouts are also available on their website and translated into several languages: https://www.sisskinstutteringcenter.com/resources)
And, if I may be so bold as to recommend one that I contributed to creating, this video produced by Spero Stuttering, Inc. (https://www.sperostuttering.org/community-resources/community-tools) titled Nurturing and Empowering Your Child Who Stutters (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPjKPYUB9qw) and the accompanying handout (https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/66ff1af58e71edb911ba455e/6750858975480d442865d9bb_Nurturing_and_EmpoweringYourChildWhoStutters_Caregiver%20Handout.pdf) are also among the first resources I share with caregivers.
-Carrie