Question
A parent inquires about their son, who has been experiencing a stuttering problem since he was 6 years old and is now 13. The situation has not improved. The symptoms include difficulty speaking, abnormal voice, trembling reading voice, and accompanied by a bruxism habit. The parent was told that stuttering would improve over time, but after seven years, there has been no improvement. No previous treatment has been attempted, and they hope to receive treatment advice.
Answer
Stuttering is a very complex language disorder that not only involves abnormal speech behaviors but may also be accompanied by emotional disturbances and changes in social attitudes and behaviors. Each person who stutters has different symptoms. Due to the complexity of stuttering, treatment methods are varied and mainly include non-pharmacological treatments such as speech therapy, psychological therapy, biofeedback rhythm devices, changing the way of speaking, delayed auditory feedback method, and voice occlusion method. Treatment should be tailored to the individual’s characteristics of stuttering, personality, emotions, and behaviors to choose an appropriate treatment plan.