Advice to give
Hi, I’m a second -year graduate student at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. We are currently taking fluency disorders right now. I’m very interested in working with this population once I become a speech-language pathologist. I had a few questions to ask. I’m doing an externship right now in the school setting. I see a child in 3rd grade that stutters. He gets very discouraged and upset with himself when he stutters. What is the best advice you received in therapy that helped you? I’m having a hard time connecting with him and knowing how to help him with his emotions.
Rather than advice, consider introducing him to an adult who stutters. An adult working and succeeding in a satisfying career will provide the child with a role model and will offer hope that he can grow up with a stutter and be successful.
Many children have never met another person who stutters so its normal for them to think they’re the only one in the world who stutter.
Also, let him know that there are kids who stutter and lots of ways to connect with other kids. During the pandemic, there have been many opportunities for virtual support. Both the NSA http://www.westutter.org and Friends http://www.friendswhostutter.org have resources and groups for kids.
There are also groups for parents, which could help his parents better support their child.
Pam