In most cases, stuttering is a temporary problem that resolves on its own and requires no treatment. About 75 percent of children who stutter as preschoolers will eventually stop doing so, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. However, other cases of stuttering are more persistent and may last a lifetime. Such persistent stuttering is more common in males. There is no cure for stuttering. However, patients can learn techniques that can help them overcome their difficulty and to speak normally and fluently.

Patients may undergo speech therapy, in which they learn new language skills that enable them to speak more clearly and naturally. This therapy may include breathing techniques, relaxation techniques that help the patient relax key muscles during speech and voice exercises. Patients are encouraged to monitor and control their rate of speech by speaking short phrases or sentences very slowly, then gradually building up to greater speeds.

Speakers who have difficulties controlling dysfluencies in their speech are taught techniques that help them to break down and incorporate these dysfluencies into their speech patterns. This helps create speech patterns that are more seamless and natural sounding.

By following the therapist’s suggestions and practicing at home, patients can master new ways of producing sounds that form words. At first, using these techniques often feels awkward to patients, especially when transferred to real-world situations. However, over time many patients become more comfortable and confident in using these aids. Children with severe stuttering difficulties show improvement when they reduce the tendency to stutter tensely or to avoid certain words altogether and instead begin to display more episodes of repetitions or prolongations of sound. These healthier, less severe symptoms of stuttering need to be recognized as progress in the patient’s treatment plan.

Parents can also help their child overcome a stuttering problem by offering support and encouragement. This is often most effective when parents establish time alone with their children without distractions. Children are often embarrassed by their stuttering problem, so it is important that parents try to provide a calm atmosphere for the child. Children should be allowed to speak freely without having to worry about the precision of their words. Telling a stuttering child to “slow down,” “start over” or to speak in smaller sentences will only increase the child’s self-consciousness. It also helps to avoid asking too many questions. It may be easier on a child who stutters to speak freely instead of answering direct questions.

Parents are also encouraged to resist the urge to finish a child’s sentences. Patience on the part of the parent is crucial to helping build the child’s confidence. Parents are urged to retain eye contact when their child is speaking and not look away or show other signs of disappointment or embarrassment. Parents who slow down their own speech offer a model for their child to slow down and improve fluency. This speech model needs to be smooth with plenty of pauses, but should not sound abnormal.

Children should also be allowed to avoid speaking in moments when they are particularly uncomfortable. Parents are urged to talk to the child’s teachers and request that the child not be placed in speaking situations that may be difficult. Once children have begun to make progress in speech therapy, they may be more equipped to tackle speaking challenges.