What to Expect in Speech Therapy for Stuttering
All humans experience disfluencies, or disruptions, in their flow of speech from time to time. People who stutter may have more disfluencies. They may have longer pauses in their speech or feel increased tension while speaking. At Expressable, our therapy approach is rooted in the belief that stuttering is a form of verbal diversity. Simply put, different people have different ways of speaking. And that means stuttering is not a condition that needs to be “fixed.” We accept each person’s differences, focus on their strengths, and support them in building new skills for communication.
So, what can speech therapy do for people who stutter? Speech therapy can help children and adults manage their stutter and speak with greater ease. This can be done through a variety of speech techniques and strategies, as well as through counseling to build the person’s sense of empowerment and confidence.
Again, the goal of speech therapy isn’t to “fix” or “cure” a stutter. In fact, there is no cure for stuttering. Instead, the goal is to help you or your child communicate as effectively as possible and become the best communicator you can be!
During therapy sessions, your speech therapist will teach you or your child different strategies and techniques. If you’re an adult who’s had speech therapy in the past, you may revisit techniques you’ve already tried. It’s important to note that speech therapy isn’t one size fits all. Some techniques will work, and others may not, but don’t get discouraged. Your speech therapist will partner with you or your child to find what works best.
Speech therapy can help people find their voice in different ways. And therapy goals may not always include learning techniques to speak smoothly. You and your therapist will work closely together to set goals that are impactful and meaningful for you. Speech therapy may include:
Techniques to increase ease of speech and reduce tension while speaking
Counseling on your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs about stuttering, and
Confidence-building so you can advocate for yourself in all sorts of situations as a person who stutters
If you’re a parent or caregiver of a child who stutters, speech therapy will also help you learn how to support your child. Because meaningful progress isn’t possible for your child without your involvement and support.
Through it all, your speech therapist is here to support you every step of the way. Thank you for trusting Expressable to guide you on this journey.
