Ways to Help With Stuttering

Stuttering is a speech disorder characterized by repetitions, prolongations or abnormal stops in word flow. Though stuttering is often embarrassing and difficult to listen to, it can be completely overcome with the proper treatment. In fact, several famous performers such as James Earl Jones, Marilyn Monroe and Carly Simon had a stuttering problem at one time.

Speak Calmly and Slowly

• Rapid speech may be second nature to most, especially in today's fast-paced society. Unfortunately, this type of speech pattern can be overwhelming to someone who stutters. Use calm, relaxed speech with plenty of pauses when talking to a stutterer; it puts him more at ease, and provides a better model for his own speech.

Be a Good Listener

• Listening to someone who stutters takes a lot of patience, but she will appreciate your efforts. Allow the stutterer to finish without interrupting her or finishing the sentence for her. When she is finished, wait a few seconds before commenting on what she said. Say something that lets the stutterer know you were listening; don't immediately ask a question or change the subject. People who stutter find it easier to speak when they know they have the other person's attention.

Try Speech Therapy

• Many people who stutter have had success with speech therapy. Before choosing a speech pathologist, you should interview him to make sure he is comfortable with stuttering, has experience working with people who stutter and uses approaches with which you are comfortable. A list of speech pathologists in the United States is listed in the resources at the end of this article.