Fluency Disorder - Do's and Don'ts

Fluency disorder of speech disorder can be corrected with early intervention, diagnosis and management. Read on to know more about the fluency disorder and the dos and don’ts for parents of child coping with fluency disorder. In this article What is Fluency? Do’s Don’ts What is Fluency? Fluency refers to the continuous, free flowing speech with appropriate rate, rhythm and information. It helps in effective communication. A fluency disorder is when the forward flow of speech is interrupted by hesitations or repetitions or prolongations or hard attacks and/or silent blocks. Often during the developmental stages a child goes through a period of normal non- fluencies. If given required help at this time, a lot of anxiety and emotional disturbances could be reduced. At this stage, parents play an important role in the child’s life. With professional help and guidance from a Speech Language Pathologist they would be able to ease the fluency of the child’s speech. Do’s Listen to what your child says not the way he says.Let the child feel relaxed.Reinforce him positively.Make the verbal experience enjoyable.Give him opportunities to speak.Decrease pressures.Decrease anxiety.Increase his confidence.Provide an appropriate speech model. Don’ts Do not make him aware.Avoid correcting his speech.Do not punish the child for his speech.Resist finishing his words.Avoid negative reactions, both verbal and non verbal.Don’t give any suggestions such as “speak slowly” or “Take your time and speak.”Don’t suggest substitution of a difficult word by an easy one.Decrease demand for verbal performance.

Fluency disorder of speech disorder can be corrected with early intervention, diagnosis and management. Read on to know more about the fluency disorder and the dos and don’ts for parents of child coping with fluency disorder.

What is Fluency?

Fluency refers to the continuous, free flowing speech with appropriate rate, rhythm and information. It helps in effective communication.

A fluency disorder is when the forward flow of speech is interrupted by hesitations or repetitions or prolongations or hard attacks and/or silent blocks.

Often during the developmental stages a child goes through a period of normal non- fluencies. If given required help at this time, a lot of anxiety and emotional disturbances could be reduced.

At this stage, parents play an important role in the child’s life. With professional help and guidance from a Speech Language Pathologist they would be able to ease the fluency of the child’s speech.

Do’s

• Listen to what your child says not the way he says.
• Let the child feel relaxed.
• Reinforce him positively.
• Make the verbal experience enjoyable.
• Give him opportunities to speak.
• Decrease pressures.
• Decrease anxiety.
• Increase his confidence.
• Provide an appropriate speech model.

Don’ts

• Do not make him aware.
• Avoid correcting his speech.
• Do not punish the child for his speech.
• Resist finishing his words.
• Avoid negative reactions, both verbal and non verbal.
• Don’t give any suggestions such as “speak slowly” or “Take your time and speak.”
• Don’t suggest substitution of a difficult word by an easy one.
• Decrease demand for verbal performance.