Stutters 

Stutters or stuttering is also known as stammering and is a speech problem that is more common than many might realize.  Stutters occur when the speech is disrupted by repetitions of sounds, syllables, or words.  For some people this is something that happens only occasionally or when they are nervous, while other people have a problem with stuttering every time they speak. 

The term stutters or stuttering is a broad term that covers a wide variety of problems, with each person having a different type of stuttering issue. 

There are some simple ways to help those who seem to stutter often, especially children.  One way is to ensure that when you speak to someone who stutters, especially a child that you speak slowly.  This is helping the person realize that they can also speak slowly, which will usually result in less stuttering. 

If you are speaking to someone who stutters you should also ask one question at a time.  Someone who stutters will usually find that the problem gets worse when they feel overwhelmed or if their thought processes are racing and they can’t get the words out fast enough.  Ask one question and give the individual time to respond. 

Appear relaxed when you are listening to someone who stutters speak.  When the stutterer feels rushed they are going to be trying to hurry to convey their message. Smile and really engage with the speaker so that they feel you are content in listening to them and that you aren’t rushed. 

Try to create situations for the person who stutters where everyone takes turns to talk.  When someone feels like they have to rush to get their opinion heard or their needs met, they are going to be much more likely to stutter.  When you create a situation where everyone has a turn it is usually much easier for the person who stutters to get their message out with as little stuttering as possible. 

As you can see, there are some relatively simple ways that you can help a child or even an adult who stutters.  Learning not to focus on the stuttering or telling someone not to rush will take practice, but you will find that simply changing the behaviors around speech will help both you and the person who stutters communicate more efficiently and with ease.  Patience and understanding is the key when you are working, living, or interacting with someone who stutters. 

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