MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A new brochure published by the Stuttering Foundation seeks to answer questions and give helpful tips for parents and professionals dealing with stuttering and autism spectrum disorders including both Asperger’s syndrome and autism.
Treatment to overcome stuttering in children is based upon each child’s needs, and this is particularly true when autism is present. A child with autism who also stutters may find social interaction and self-monitoring more difficult. Therefore, treatment to overcome stuttering will focus on using speech in social settings.
Speech-language pathologist Kathleen Scaler Scott, of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, offers some timely tips on what parents can do as they attempt to help their kids overcome stuttering and deal with autism:
1. Have a consistent organized schedule.
2. Keep instructions simple, clear, and concise.
3. Provide visual cues, concrete examples and drawings to increase the child’s understanding.
4. Use good speaking habits yourself such as keeping eye contact and listening to what your child is saying, not to how he is talking.
5. Allow him time to finish his thoughts.
“These tips are valid for working with all children,” adds Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation. “They are not just for children who struggle with their speech.”
For more information on stuttering and a free copy of Autism Spectrum Disorders and Stuttering, visit the Stuttering Foundation website at http://www.stutteringhelp.com or call toll-free 800-992-9392.
The Stuttering Foundation, through its award-winning website,
provides free
online resources, services and support to those who stutter and their
families, as well as support for research into the causes of
stuttering. The Stuttering Foundation is the first and the largest
nonprofit charitable organization in the
world working towards the prevention and improved treatment of
stuttering, reaching over one million people annually. We also offer
extensive educational programs on stuttering for professionals. Please
call us at 800.992.9392 for more information.
