I absolutely loved the movie “The King’s Speech.” Besides having an enormous crush on Colin Firth, it was a pleasure to see a film that featured a speech-language pathologist, Lionel Logue, played beautifully by Geoffrey Rush. The film is the story of the relationship between King George VI (Firth) and Logue as they work together to help the king overcome his stutter. [Editor’s Note: Logue was not a medically-trained speech-language pathologist.]

Aside from being a contender at the Oscars, and a recent Golden Globes winner for Best Drama, the movie has been praised by numerous organizations such as The American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) and The Stuttering Foundation of America for helping raise awareness to an often-misunderstood disorder.

Stuttering is a speech disorder in which sounds, syllables or words are repeated or prolonged, disrupting the normal flow of speech.  According to the National Institute of Health, approximately three million Americans stutter.

Stuttering - or stammering, as it's referred to in Britain - can affect people of all ages and is more common in boys than girls. It is not unusual for young children to go though a stage between the ages of two and five where they are demonstrating some dysfluency in their speech. In many cases, stuttering goes away on its own. For those individuals for whom the stuttering persists beyond the age of five, an evaluation and treatment by a speech-language pathologist is often necessary.

Communication can be very stressful for children who stutter. If your niece or nephew stutters, you can help alleviate some of their stress by altering either your speaking or listening behaviors. Some suggestions include:

1. Reduce the pace of the conversation slightly. This is a way to model slow and easy speech as well as minimize time pressure.
 
2. Pause for a little less than a second before answering a question. You are demonstrating to your niece or nephew that it is Ok to take a little time before answering.

3. Pay attention to what is being said and not how it is being said. Do not comment on the delivery and avoid suggestions such as “take your time.”

4. Reduce on-demand expectation. Do not put pressure on your niece or nephew to speak, and be mindful of the number of questions you are asking.

5. Remember Turn -Taking. Do not interrupt your niece or nephew or finish their sentences for them.

6. One-on-one time. Help your niece or nephew build confidence in their communication skills by setting aside time in a relaxed environment to have a conversation about a topic of their choosing.

For further information on stuttering, contact the Stuttering Foundation of America or the American Speech-Language-Hearing Assoication.

Image: The Weinstein Company
Published: January 19, 2011