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Stuttering
A child that suffers from stuttering, tends to repeat syllables and
parts of words, rather than repeating a complete word twice. He will
have great difficulty in pronouncing long words or those that hold
the greatest importance in a sentence. Exactly what causes
stuttering is still unknown, but it is thought to affect almost 5%
of all children and more boys than girls are affected. Stuttering
usually begins when the child is learning correct vocabulary usage
or when starting school, however, this problem is normally corrected
by the time the child reaches the age of ten or twelve years. About
1% of all adults stutter, and you can hopefully prevent your child
from becoming a victim, by seeking appropriate treatment, before the
pattern becomes totally ingrained.
Immediate help is essential, where a speech therapist will help
child and parents alike, teaching them how to reduce the stress of
the child's everyday conversations, correct breathing control and
techniques for slower speaking. It is suggested however, that a
child who fails to respond to treatment after six months, could be
suffering from a psychological problem, such as extreme nervousness,
hyperactivity or reluctantly trying to hide the shame of abuse. In
this case, child psychiatrists or psychologists will need to assist
in the treatment programme.
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