Question
My son is now over 6 years old. When he was younger, he had a severe stutter, struggling to say the first word and even had foot-tapping behaviors. We never paid attention to it. Later, it gradually got better. Recently, I wonder if it’s due to the psychological fear caused by his punishment. Now, his stuttering has worsened, repeating the first word or the first few words two or three times.
Answer
Stuttering is a very complex language disorder. Stutterers not only have abnormal speech behaviors but also often experience emotional disturbances and changes in attitudes and methods. Different individuals with stuttering exhibit different symptoms. Due to the complexity of stuttering, its treatment is also varied and complex. Currently, stuttering treatment mainly focuses on non-pharmacological approaches, including speech therapy, psychological therapy, biofeedback pacemakers, voice modification techniques, delayed speech feedback methods, and sound masking techniques. Treatment methods should be selected based on an individual’s specific characteristics, personality, emotions, and behaviors.