Fluency
Fluency refers to the forward flow of speech. Dysfluency occurs when there is a breakdown in this forward flow of speech. For all speakers, some occurrence of dysfluency is normal. For example, people may insert short sounds or words, referred to as "interjections," when speaking; examples of such are "um," "like," or "uh." Also, speakers might repeat phrases, revise words or phrases, or sometimes repeat whole words for the purpose of clarification.
For young children, dysfluency is a part of the normal development of speech and language, especially during the preschool years (between the ages of two and five years). Stuttered speech is characterized by an excessive amount of dysfluency over a prolonged period of time. The dysfluencies produced by people who stutter will often be similar to those in the speech of individuals who do not stutter; however, certain types of dysfluent behavior are likely to appear only in the speech of people who stutter. These disfluencies are sound and syllable repetitions (i.e., ca-ca-ca-cat), sound prolongations ("sssss-salad," "ffffff-fish"), and complete blockages of airflow. These behaviors, often referred to as stuttering type dysfluencies, distinguish stuttered speech from non-stuttered speech.
The following strategies can be used at home to encourage fluent speech production:
- As much as possible, allow your child to have the opportunity for un-interrupted talk time. If you live in a household with many competitors for talk-time (such as older or younger siblings) set aside a sheltered time of the day to spend alone with you.
- Although it can be difficulty, try not to finish your child's sentence when he/she is struggling to get the words out. Instead, make eye contact and let your child know you are listening. As much as possible, allow enough time for your child to finish his/her thoughts on his/her own.
- Model slow, deliberate speech for your child rather than rushing to get your message out. Hearing someone else speak this way can help a child use the strategy for him/herself.
- Do not tell your child to "slow down." This can be frustrating for them, especially since the cause of stuttering is not due to rapid speech.
