Supporting the mental health of children who stutter – part two
One of the factors that can influence a child’s mental health when they have a stutter is how those around them react to their stutter. In a fluency-focused society, people may not know what to do or say when someone has a stutter, and as a result may treat people with a stutter differently or harshly. Children and young people who have a stutter may experience bullying and can feel from an early age that they are ‘different’.
There are various therapeutic options for children who have a stutter, including techniques to reduce speech rate, speech drills to train speech movements, as well as strategies for teaching parents to provide therapy regularly at home. For many children who have a stutter, connecting with other children and adults who stutter and being accepted for their stutter has a significant positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing. This is the environment that the Stuttering Association for the Young Australia (SAY:Australia) strives to provide for children and young people who stutter – a space where they are accepted for who they are and provided with the time they need to say what they want to say.
This episode is the second in our two-part series on supporting the mental health of children who stutter. We are again joined by Rich Stephens, President of SAY:Australia, and Mitchell, who has been involved with SAY:Australia for the past four years, first as a participant and now as a mentor to other children and young people who stutter. In this episode, Rich and Mitchell talk about some of the unhelpful things that people say or do around those with a stutter and how these things can impact their mental health and wellbeing. They discuss what the current treatment options are and their experiences with them, what advice they would give to practitioners, and what support SAY:Australia provides to children, particularly in terms of their mental health and wellbeing.
In this episode, you will learn:
- some of the unhelpful things that people can do or say to people who stutter [01:50]
- what the current therapy options are for children who stutter [07:53]
- what SAY:Australia provides to the wellbeing of children who stutter [21:58]
- what practitioners can do to support children who have a stutter [36:11]
Further information and resources:
Supporting the mental health of children who stutter – part one [podcast]
The Time it Takes – The Stuttering Association for the Young Australia