Causes of stuttering in children - how to treat the disease. Causes and methods of treating stuttering in children Treatment of stuttering in a 5-year-old child

Stuttering is a speech defect associated with the psycho-emotional state of a 3-5 year old child. It is at this age that speech formation begins, the child tries to repeat individual sounds, words and sentences after those around him, so it is especially important to help him in this difficult period for him. Logoneurosis is a convulsive contraction of the articulatory organs; it manifests itself in 2% of children (more often in boys) with a confused rhythm, interruptions, stops and repetitions in speech. Why does a child suddenly become hostage to such a disease?

Causes of stuttering

Experts recommend drawing up a psychological portrait. The most predisposed to stuttering are children with weakly expressed volitional qualities, those who are timid and feel embarrassed in large crowds of people, who are overly impressionable and who love to fantasize. A speech therapist, neurologist and psychologist, first of all, determine the causes of logoneurosis and only then begin treatment.

• Heredity

Stuttering can be genetic. If there is a relative who stutters in the family, then it is necessary to monitor the child’s speech development in the early stages, i.e. at about 2-3 years. Weakness of the articulatory apparatus is accompanied by excessive impressionability, anxiety, embarrassment or fear.

• Mother's difficult pregnancy

Difficult childbirth or even an incorrect, careless lifestyle of the mother during pregnancy can also affect the baby’s speech. Typically, stuttering may be associated with brain damage due to birth trauma, asphyxia during childbirth, intrauterine infections, fetal hypoxia, or hemolytic disease of the newborn.

• Rickets

Rickets is a disorder of the skeletal and nervous systems, accompanied by a deficiency of mineralization and softening of the tubal bones. The child becomes restless, irritable, fearful and capricious. Bone deformations cause not only physical, but also psychological discomfort. As a result, stress can lead to speech impairment.

• Traumatic brain injuries

Concussions and various head injuries can cause stuttering not only in young children, but also in adult children.

The age of 5 is especially dangerous, when the child learns about the world, runs, jumps and misbehaves. During this period, it is advisable to protect the child from falls and bruises, since frequent visits to the doctor are associated with blows and wounds.

• Hypotrophy

Chronic eating disorders and dystrophy are one of the most terrible causes of logoneurosis. Hypotrophy can cause not only stuttering, but also impaired breathing and cardiac activity. A child is a big responsibility, so young parents are obliged to organize proper care and the most comfortable conditions for development and upbringing.

• Speech disorders

There are other speech disorders that can provoke stuttering in children: tachylalia (too fast rate of speech), rhinolalia and dyslalia (we recommend reading: - incorrect sound pronunciation), dysarthria (immobility of the speech organs, impaired innervation of the speech apparatus). The latter disease is considered the most dangerous.

• Mental turmoil

External mental influences, for example, unexpected fear, stress, intimidation from parents or strangers, conflicts with peers can also lead to logoneurosis (we recommend reading:). Shocks can be not only negative, but also overly positive/joyful.

Also, left-handed preschoolers who are trying to wean themselves from writing with their left hand may begin to stutter, but this phenomenon is quite rare. The main thing is not to put pressure on the child, as excessive persistence, nervousness and screaming will only worsen the situation.

Symptoms and types of stuttering

The causes of stuttering have been clarified. Now the doctor conducts an examination and makes a diagnosis based on the etiology of the disease:

1. Neurotic logoneurosis is a form of functional disorder in which a child begins to stutter only in a nervous environment: excitement, embarrassment, strong anxiety, stress, anxiety, fear. In such traumatic situations, the disease comes in waves: convulsive hesitations for a while are replaced by even conversation, after which they intensify again.
2. Organic (or neurosis-like) stuttering is a consequence of lesions of the central nervous system. The child does not want to sleep, is constantly excited, moves awkwardly due to poor coordination and impaired motor skills, begins to speak late, but monotonously and with hesitation. The defect is permanent and worsens with fatigue and overexertion after active physical and mental activities.

In addition, it is customary to distinguish forms of stuttering in children by seizures and the nature of the course. Thus, a mild degree of stuttering is accompanied by convulsive hesitations - for example, when answering an unexpected or unpleasant question, the child becomes nervous. With a moderate degree, the child stutters constantly during a dialogue, but with a severe form, convulsive stuttering interferes with any communication, even a monologue. According to the nature of its course, stuttering is divided into three types: undulating, constant and recurrent. Identifying the type of stuttering and its degree is within the competence of the doctor.

Diagnostics

At the first symptoms, you need to contact a specialist who will not only make a diagnosis, conduct a speech diagnosis (assessment of tempo, breathing, motor skills, articulatory spasms, voice), but also select the correct treatment method. Dr. Komarovsky recommends conducting a comprehensive examination in any case to prevent possible relapses in the future.

If convulsive hesitations in speech are associated with damage to the central nervous system, then diagnosis through magnetic resonance imaging or electroencephalography may be necessary.

It is worth contacting a pediatric neurologist first. If stuttering is caused by traumatic situations, then a psychologist will help you figure it out.

Treatment methods

The basis of treatment is the normalization of the functions of the speech circle - in particular, inhibition of Broca's center. How to cure stuttering in a child? There are several effective methods:

• drug treatment;
• breathing exercises;
• hypnosis treatment;
• logorhythmic exercises;
• Also, do not forget about prevention with folk sedatives.

Drug treatment

For 3-year-old children, in addition to general therapy, vitamins, tranquilizers, sedative tablets, anticonvulsants, nootropic or homeopathic drugs may be prescribed. Particularly popular are valerian extract, motherwort, children's Tenoten, Actovegin (see also:). The doctor will select the medicine individually.

Hypnosis

Not all parents decide to undergo hypnosis treatment, but this method is recognized as the most effective. After only 4-10 sessions with an experienced and professional hypnologist, speech can be completely restored, as the child’s emotional experiences and underlying signs of the disease are examined. Hypnosis is not used for young children.

Four-year-old children are already able to repeat the movements of their parents and perform special exercises that help strengthen the diaphragm, improve cerebral circulation, and develop proper nasal and mouth breathing. Gymnastics teaches children who stutter to control their inhalation and exhalation, and helps them pronounce difficult sounds and words calmly and without hesitation. In combination with breathing exercises, relaxing baths and massages are very helpful.

Logorhythmics

Logorhythmic exercises are a new technique for preschoolers and schoolchildren that allow you to combine words and phrases with movements and music: for example, singing children's songs, listening to classical music, playing musical instruments, reading rhymes. Speech therapy classes help the child open up, believe in himself and trust his leader.

Folk remedies

Herbs and infusions help you calm down and relax better than any pills. Chamomile, St. John's wort, lemon balm, and nettle are considered the most effective and harmless for children.

In such a difficult period of life, a stuttering child should feel needed and loved. The family should take care of a comfortable home atmosphere and try to contact their child more often and help him. Conversations should be calm and intelligible; under no circumstances should you interrupt the baby, otherwise he will become withdrawn and refuse to “open his mouth” at all.

We should try to get a stutterer interested in reading books out loud, this will help to work on correct pronunciation. The main thing is not to force or overload, classes should be interesting and positive.

Prevention of stuttering

It is very important not to miss the moment of speech formation, because it is very difficult to correct and cure speech defects in the later stages. It is necessary to motivate the child, explain to him what is possible and what is not, captivate, interest and teach. Some advice for young parents:

1. Maintain a daily and sleep schedule. The most capricious age is from 3 to 7 years. The baby should sleep 10-11 hours at night and 2 hours during the day. For older children, you can reduce nighttime sleep to 8-9 hours at night and to 1-1.5 hours during the day. Try to get rid of the habit of watching TV in the evenings before going to bed.
2. Raise them in a moderately demanding manner and don’t forget to praise them for successes (even minor ones). A child should strive to learn something new, be self-confident and purposeful.
3. Talk to your children, read together, dance, sing, play sports. A friendly atmosphere in the family will help protect the child from psychological trauma. It is better to limit preschoolers from communicating with people who stutter so that they do not follow their example.
4. Work with a speech therapist. The doctor will suggest the right games, books, exercises, and teach the child to use his voice and speak smoothly and rhythmically.
5. Don't be intimidated. Some parents make the mistake of scaring their children with “funny tales,” telling scary tales, or locking them alone in a room as punishment, especially in a poorly lit one. Logoneurosis caused by such psychological trauma is more difficult to treat later.
6. Watch your diet. Do not overfeed with sweet, fried and spicy foods; it is better to add vegetable and dairy products to the diet.

Prevention of stuttering, as well as correction, is a very difficult process for parents. Preschool children are especially capricious and susceptible, so you should be patient and help your little stutterer overcome his illness. By the way, breathing exercises are also useful for adults; certain exercises help to relax and supply the body with oxygen, which is so necessary during active physical and emotional stress.

Stuttering is a disease characterized by speech impairment: prolongation (stretching) of sounds, syllables or words, frequent repetition of words, hesitation of speech, stops between words and syllables.

According to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD 10), stuttering has code F98.

Stuttering in a child causes shame, difficulties in communication and, as a result, isolation and lack of friends. It turns out to be a vicious circle: speech impairment - the child begins to worry when it manifests itself - nervousness from powerlessness, shame - an even greater manifestation of logoneurosis.

The nature of stuttering

The etiology of stuttering is still unclear. However, doctors say that the causes of stuttering are complex:

• Genetic predisposition

A common question from parents is “is stuttering inherited?”

On this issue, scientists are divided into 3 camps. The first argue that the cause of stuttering in children may be a recessive gene, which manifests itself if both parents stuttered in childhood. The latter say that heredity can be transmitted in the form of a predisposition to diseases of the nervous system, which manifest themselves as such symptoms. Still others suggest that hereditary categories of diseases that provoke convulsive readiness of the brain can be transmitted.

• Neurotic stuttering due to psychosomatic reasons

Stuttering in preschool children is often caused by a tense situation in the family, traumatic events in the form of a long absence of parents.

Stuttering comes to a teenager due to anxiety as a result of parents’ divorce, problems in the educational institution, because in schools: conflicts between children, pressure from teachers. Also, symptoms of the disorder occur in all forms of violence or if the child witnesses it.

• Difficult pregnancy, difficult childbirth, intrauterine infections - all this provokes problems with speech due to disturbances in the process of transmitting nerve impulses from the cerebral cortex to the speech apparatus. In such cases, it is sometimes said that stuttering could be inherited, but this is not true, because the nervous system is weakened due to the characteristics of pregnancy and childbirth.
• Sometimes stuttering in children occurs due to... imitation. If a child is surrounded by children or adults who stutter, then this is nothing more than imitation. Then the correction of stuttering in preschoolers can be carried out at home, since the treatment of stuttering in children comes down to correcting speech and eradicating the habit.

Types of speech disorders

There are different types of stuttering, which are divided according to different criteria:

Formal classification of stuttering:

1. Tonic stuttering, which is characterized by pauses in speech and prolongation of individual sounds. This occurs due to spasms in the area of ​​the mandibular muscle, larynx, lips, and tongue. Difficulties arise due to the fact that a person who stutters has to pronounce the continuation of a word after stopping;
2. Clonic form of stuttering caused by a tic. As a result of this form of stuttering, children aged 3-7 years experience repetitions of the same syllable, word or even a whole phrase;
3. Mixed stuttering - types of both clonic and tonic convulsive manifestations.

Classification of stuttering according to neurotic symptoms:

• Neurosis-like stuttering, arising as a result of the functioning of the nervous system. It appears at 3-5 years old, when the child begins to speak;
• The manifestation of a neurotic form of stuttering, the appearance of which is preceded by fear or the presence of a constant psychological factor of trauma.

The division into neurotic and neurosis-like stuttering is more about the nature of its occurrence, and not about the form of manifestation.

Treatment and correction

With modern developments in medicine and psychology, the question arises whether “stuttering can be cured.” There are many ways, including treatment of stuttering with hypnosis, massage, and classes using various techniques.

• Drug treatment: drugs are prescribed that improve the connection between nerve fibers, as well as those that extinguish disinhibition and relieve convulsive tension in brain structures. For example, they prescribe pantogam, pantocalcin.

Important: tablets are prescribed exclusively by a neurologist.

• Breathing exercises for stuttering in children: the technique was formed based on observation of the results of a stutterer who was fond of singing. Breathing exercises for stuttering - a set of exercises that will relieve spasm.

• Speech therapy classes for children with stuttering. An effective manual was developed by Belyakova, Dyakova. Andronova and Harutyunyan use a method of synchronizing speech with fine motor skills of the hands, which allows you to include not only the speech apparatus, but also to use certain areas of the brain responsible for signal transmission.
• Massage for stuttering in children is used for general relaxation and relief of general tonic tension. It is usually localized in the neck, shoulders, and back.

• Hypnosis for stuttering helps with neurotic forms. However, it does not help everyone due to the fact that everyone has a different level of suggestibility (propensity to suggestion).

A hypnologist is a psychotherapist who knows the characteristics of the disease and has the necessary knowledge and skills to work with impulsive and anxious children.

The sooner parents seek help, the more effective hypnotic elimination of logoneurosis will work.

Correction

We need a comprehensive approach to overcoming stuttering. This will help take into account all possible factors that provoked the appearance of logoneurosis. If this is getting rid of stuttering in adolescence, then the child can fight stuttering using autogenic training as recommended by a hypnologist.

Skoblikova’s method is effective: stuttering is treated at home with the support of the whole family.

Correction of stuttering includes the creation of a favorable psychological environment:

1. Creating a calm atmosphere in the family. Sometimes for this, parents need to visit a family psychologist and learn how to resolve disagreements between adults in the correct form.
2. Maintaining a daily routine. This will help reduce anxiety, which is especially important if stuttering is of neurotic origin. Predictability and clear rules help the child relieve anxiety, because he knows what to expect.
3. Talking to children who stutter in a calm, measured voice with a slow or moderate rhythm.
4. Elimination of screaming as a form of education, sudden movements, and one’s own emotional outbursts: a calm and emotionally stable parent is the key to effective treatment of childhood stuttering.
5. If a child is telling something, do not interrupt and encourage him. During an emotional story, an anxious child's stuttering intensifies. A calm and patient adult helps relieve anxiety, reduce the degree of emotions, and therefore relax the speech apparatus.
6. Hugs, gentle and soft touches of a child are very effective if the basis of stuttering is psychosomatics.
7. “Less criticism - more praise” - this should become an axiom for parents who want to cure stuttering in preschoolers and adolescents.
8. To speed up the elimination of stuttering, it is necessary to encourage singing and music lessons: sing with the child in order to continue classes at home to correct stuttering in preschoolers and adolescents.

In conclusion, we present an interview with L.Z. Harutyunyan, in which she talks in detail about the nature of stuttering and its treatment.

Parents, looking at their children, rejoice at their successes and achievements. Everything seemed to be going its way, and suddenly the child began to stutter. The first thing that immediately comes to mind is that the baby is just playing around. It’s good if this is so, but what if these are the first “swallows” of a big problem?

Types of stuttering

But first, let's talk about what it is. Logoneurosis is a speech defect that manifests itself in a violation of the rhythm and rate of breathing. This pathology is associated with compression of various parts. It is most often observed in children from two to five years old. This period is the peak of speech development.

Types of logoneurosis depend on the causes:

• Physiological stuttering. Associated with previous diseases: complications caused by encephalitis, birth injuries, organic disorders of the subcortical parts of the brain, overwork, exhaustion of the nervous system.
• Mental. It is a consequence of fright, fear, mental trauma, stress, correction of left-handedness.
• Social. This type is most often the reason why a child begins to stutter at age 4. Factors contributing to the appearance of logoneurosis include: overload of speech material, inattention of parents, excessive severity and rigor in education, imitation of peers.

Forms of stuttering

To understand what and how to get rid of, you should study your “enemy”. Let's find out what forms of stuttering there are.

1. Like speech spasms.

• Clonic - repetition of individual sounds, syllables or words.
• Tonic - long pauses in conversation, prolongation of sounds. The child's face is very tense, the mouth is tightly closed or half-open.

Clonic and tonic forms can occur in the same person.

Inspiratory stuttering appears during inspiration. Expiratory - on exhalation.

2. Due to the appearance of pathology.

• Evolutionary. Appears in children aged two to six years.
• Symptomatic. Can occur at any age. The cause is diseases of the central nervous system, such as traumatic brain injury, epilepsy and others.

Let's talk about the types of evolutionary stuttering in more detail and start with...

Neurotic

If a child began to stutter at the age of 2, most likely, he was influenced by factors of a neurotic nature. Of course, not only at this age children are susceptible to this pathology for neurotic reasons. This age lasts up to six years.

During this period, speech development and motor functions correspond to age or may be slightly ahead of it. During emotions, at the beginning of a conversation, clonic convulsions can be noticed in children. The child refuses to communicate or is very worried before the performance. In addition, there are symptoms such as anxiety, moodiness, fear, mood swings, and impressionability.

These signs intensify with overwork.

It is very difficult for such children to adapt to a new team, especially in kindergarten. But this does not prevent them from communicating with peers and adults.

Children with a neurotic type of stuttering always perform small movements fussily and imprecisely. They are well oriented in space and have well-developed fine motor skills.

Neurosis-like

The reason is a malfunction of the brain. Such children get tired very quickly, they get irritated over trifles and look “uncollected.” Some may have a movement disorder.

If a child began to stutter at the age of 3, and his behavior corresponds to the above symptoms, this can be associated with psychological trauma that arose during intensive speech development.

Gradually the stuttering gets worse. This is especially noticeable if the child has suffered from an illness or is very tired. Speech and motor functions develop on time or with a slight delay.

Children do not worry about their illness. The situation in which they may find themselves or the environment does not have any effect on the frequency of stuttering.

Such children gesticulate a lot and have poorly developed facial expressions. During a conversation, unusual facial movements may appear.

Causes

My child started to stutter, what should I do? This is the first question that worries parents. But before answering it, you should understand the cause of this disorder. Most often, this may be a violation of the interaction between articulatory movements and the speech center. Sometimes the baby’s thoughts can get ahead of the motor system. And the reason for this is the following factors:

• Emotional stress. Fright, anxiety, fear and even positive emotions.
• Diseases suffered in early childhood. Such as typhus, whooping cough, measles, diseases of the throat, larynx, nose.
• Head injury or simple bruise.
• Excessive mental activity.
• Birth trauma or stress experienced by a pregnant woman.
• Abnormal psycho-emotional situation in the family.
• Imitation of peers.

Now we will consider each of the factors influencing speech in groups. Let's talk in more detail about why the child began to stutter. Let's consider internal and external factors.

Brain dysfunction

For what reason does this pathology occur? Most often, these difficulties are associated with genetic changes. If a child begins to stutter as soon as he speaks, most likely you need to look for problems in the functioning of the brain. Factors causing pathology include:

• infections in the prenatal period;
• heredity;
• oxygen starvation of the fetus;
• trauma during childbirth;
• premature birth.

External factors

If a child began to stutter at the age of 4 or a little earlier, then the reasons should be sought in the external environment. The problem could be caused by the following factors:

• Infections of the central nervous system. We are talking about meningitis and encephalitis.
• Brain injuries. It could be a concussion or bruise.
• The child's cerebral hemispheres are not yet functionally mature. Stuttering for this reason goes away without medical intervention.

• Lack of insulin (diabetes mellitus).
• Problems with the upper respiratory tract and ears.
• Diseases leading to weakening of the body.
• Associated ailments: nightmares, enuresis, fatigue.
• Psychological trauma: fear, stress and others.
• Parents speak quickly, which contributes to the incorrect formation of the child’s speech.
• Wrong upbringing. The child is either pampered too much or demands a lot from him.
• Imitation of peers and adults.

External factors include the family situation. If the baby feels good with his mom and dad, he feels the care of his parents, then he will not have problems with speech. If everything happens the other way around, then the child will become tense due to frequent conflicts, and a stutter will appear.

The child began to stutter sharply

If you find that your child suddenly begins to stutter, psychological trauma is most likely to blame. Maybe someone scared him, or maybe he received a large amount of information that he could not “sort out.”

If you think that the reason for your baby’s condition is a visit to kindergarten, then leave the child at home for a few days. Do breathing exercises with him. This contributes to the formation of smooth speech without skipping. Be sure to attend several massage sessions with your child.

If a child only sometimes tries to insert an extra syllable or sound into a word during a conversation, then there is no need to worry for now. The kid is experimenting. If such experiments have become a frequent occurrence, then it’s time to go to a specialist.

If no more than two months have passed since the first stuttering, the effect of treatment will occur earlier. This period is considered the initial stage.

The child is three years old

The child began to stutter at the age of 3, what to do in this case? The main thing is not to panic and follow the following recommendations:

• Try to get your baby to talk less. Be sure to answer his questions, but don’t ask him them yourself.
• If possible, refuse to attend kindergarten. Don’t take your baby to visit, avoid large crowds of people, and forbid your child from watching cartoons.
• Give preference to board games and drawing. These activities will help develop fine motor skills. To calm the nervous system, the child can sing to slow music and dance.
• Contact the specialists. Classes with a speech therapist and a visit to a neurologist will be helpful.
• Do not point out to your child that a particular word is pronounced incorrectly. He may get squeezed and the situation will get out of control. Try to speak smoothly and avoid mistakes in words during a conversation.

The baby is four years old

The child is 4 years old. I started stuttering, what should I do? And again the same advice - no panic. The baby will look at you, understand that something is wrong with him, and begin to worry. This is not necessary at all at this time.

In preschool institutions, from the age of four, they give so much information that the brain of a small child “bursts” from overload. A child comes home from kindergarten very tired. The result of the situation is speech impairment. If there is a problem, try:

• Walk with your child in the fresh air every day.
• Do not allow him to watch TV or play computer games.
• It is advisable not to take him to kindergarten.
• Follow the regime. The baby should go to bed on time in the evening and be sure to rest during the day.
• Create a normal atmosphere in the family for your child. Stuttering can return after any stressful situation.
• Be sure to visit specialists: a speech therapist and a neurologist.

Has your child started to stutter? Don't worry, everything can still be fixed. Listen to the advice of a psychologist:

• If your baby has difficulty speaking, be sure to maintain eye contact with him.
• Do not interrupt the baby under any circumstances. Let him finish his speech.
• Try to speak slowly yourself. Stop after every question you ask.
• Talk to your child only in short and simple sentences.
• Try not to ask your child many questions. This way he won't feel much pressure coming from you.
• Don't spoil him or give him any privileges. He shouldn't feel that he is being pitied.
• Family life must comply with rules and regulations. No chaos or fussiness.
• The child should not be very tired or overexcited.
• Try not to show your feelings. Children feel this well. This feeling begins to depress them. With this condition of the baby, the effectiveness of treatment decreases.

Treatment

A full examination was carried out. The reason why the child began to stutter has been established. It's time to start treatment. Full recovery can only occur if:

• regular classes;
• perseverance;
• desire;
• implementation of all recommendations.

Treatment must be comprehensive.

• Professional correction. Using certain programs, a speech pathologist can eliminate primary and secondary speech disorders. The correction program for each child is selected individually.
• Massage. For these purposes, you need an experienced children's massage therapist. The basic rules of massage include a slow pace, an atmosphere of calm and comfort, soothing music, and the warm hands of a specialist. The main goal of the procedure is muscle relaxation.
• Medicines. They are prescribed only in severe cases (disorders of the nervous system and psyche). Sedatives and anticonvulsants are used.
• Ethnoscience. Soothing decoctions are used. Motherwort, valerian, nettle juice and others will help relieve tension.
• Play activities at home. They train and consolidate the skills learned from specialists.
• Breathing exercises - develops proper breathing. Consists of exercises that combine short, sharp breaths and movements.

Parents should know that only comprehensive treatment will help their child get rid of speech impairment. And if a child begins to stutter, you must make every effort to help your child.

The normal functioning of the speech apparatus is as important for the development of a child as the ability to fully move and move around. If stuttering occurs, there is a huge danger that your baby will not only be slower than other children in learning about the world around him, but will also become more detached and withdrawn. If you notice the first signs of stuttering in your child, do not let the situation take its course.

The first signs of stuttering

When stuttering, almost all children behave the same way. The main task of parents is to recognize the first alarm bells in time and prevent further development of the problem. The main signs of stuttering include the following behavioral features:

• Stuttering is almost always accompanied by tension, anxiety and fear of speaking;
• When stuttering, unnatural movements, facial grimaces or tics are possible, with the help of which a stuttering person tries to overcome stuttering;
• The child may take a long time to pronounce the first syllables or repeat the same word several times;
• The child cannot concentrate for a long time, suddenly breaks off his speech, becomes silent;
• At the beginning or in the middle of a sentence, between words, extra sounds “A”, “O”, “I” are often repeated;
• The child often stops and thinks about every word;
• Shallow, irregular, clavicular or chest breathing, incoordination of breathing. The baby begins to speak after taking a full breath or while inhaling;
• Involuntary movements during speech - blinking, flaring of the wings of the nose, twitching of facial muscles;
• Using speech tricks to hide a defect - smiling, yawning, coughing;
• The baby begins to use gestures instead of words.

Stuttering occurs regardless of age, but most often occurs in children between the ages of 2 and 6 years, when speaking skills are being developed. Boys are three times more likely to stutter than girls. Sometimes relapse of stuttering occurs in adolescents aged 15-17 years, most often this is associated with the occurrence of neuroses.

Psychological characteristics of people who stutter

• timidity and embarrassment in the presence of people;
• excessive impressionability;
• vividness of fantasies, which intensifies stuttering;
• relative weakness of will;
• various psychological tricks to eliminate or reduce stuttering;
• fear of speaking in front of certain people or in society.

Consequences of stuttering

• Violation of social adaptation;
• Decreased self-esteem;
• Logophobia – fear of speech;
• Sound phobia – fear of uttering a single sound;
• Worsening speech defect.

Causes of stuttering

Stuttering can appear completely unexpectedly. But any type of stuttering in absolutely every case has its own reason for its occurrence. It is this reason that must be found as soon as possible, since the further success of treatment will depend on this.

• Fright;
• Previous meningitis or encephalitis;
• Diabetes;
• Frequent insomnia and enuresis;
• Physical inactivity and fatigue;
• Prolonged stay in a tense neurotic state;
• A sudden change in the environment (moving, long travel);
• Excessively strict attitude of parents towards the child;
• Disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system;
• Heredity;
• Head injury, concussion;
• Poor adaptability to society;
• Excessively late or excessively early development of speech;
• Violation of the normal functioning of the central nervous system;
• High susceptibility to colds.

In total, in medicine it is customary to distinguish 2 main types of stuttering:

1. Neurotic - occurs as a result of psychological trauma, shock (for example, fear or stress; this form of the disease is usually easy to correct) or due to an excessively increased speech load. This type of disorder mostly affects impressionable and vulnerable children.
2. Neurosis-like - often develops with damage to the nervous system, which can be inherited or become a consequence of a violation of intrauterine development.

According to the nature of the seizures, stuttering occurs:

• Tonic, associated with a sharp hypertonicity of the muscles of the lips, tongue, cheeks, leading to a pause in speech.
• Clonic - characterized by repeated contractions of the articulatory muscles, and leads to the repetition of a separate syllable or sound.
• Tonic-clonic.
• Clono-tonic.
• Articulatory.
• Voice.
• Respiratory.
• Mixed.

You should seek help from a specialist immediately after you notice signs of stuttering in your child. In the early stages, the problem can still be eliminated quickly. Therefore, do not put off going to the doctor until later; the doctor will help determine the type and type of disorder, and also prescribe effective treatment.

Why does a child stutter:

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Help a child

If you have stuttering, you need to visit several doctors at once, namely speech therapist, psychologist, neurologist . After conducting a full examination and excluding symptoms not related to the disorder, you can begin full treatment.

For the neurotic type of stuttering, the doctor prescribes special therapy, which should reduce exposure to stress and violent emotions. This will help find an appropriate approach to the child and teach parents how to communicate with him correctly.

For neurosis-like stuttering, drug treatment combined with a visit to a psychologist is necessary. In order for the result to be noticeable and sustainable, long-term treatment is necessary, which will be accompanied by maintaining comfortable conditions in the place where the child lives.

When treating stuttering, you must adhere to the following doctor's recommendations:

• Create a comfortable environment for your child at home. Make sure that nothing unbalances your baby or provokes negative emotions, exclude cartoons and games of an aggressive nature;
• Pay special attention to a calm environment in the family - the child should not hear screaming, quarrels, experience punishment, see sudden movements and gestures;
• Communicate with your baby in calm tones, speak clearly and legibly;
• Never tell your child that he says or pronounces something incorrectly;
• Read more children's fairy tales to your child (). Do not read scary fairy tales at night, as this provokes a feeling of constant fear: fear of seeing Baba Yaga, the devil, the devil;
• Get it in the house. Thus, the baby will stop feeling lonely and depressed, and will make a real friend;
• Speak to a stutterer clearly, smoothly (without separating one word from another), take your time, but do not pronounce words in syllables or into a chant;
• Try to bring your baby closer to balanced, well-spoken peers so that he learns to speak clearly and expressively;
• It is impossible to involve a stutterer in a game that excites and requires speech performances from the participants;
• If at some point your child does not want to communicate with people or with his peers on the playground, do not force him to do so.

Older children need more in-depth treatment, which includes preventing personality distortion. This therapy is carried out by a psychologist so that the child does not feel restless and does not experience complexes due to his problem. If you do not resort to this therapy, the child may develop a fear of talking and being surrounded by people.

Preventive measures

To prevent the development of possible stuttering or to consolidate the effect obtained after treatment, it is necessary to follow the following preventive measures:

1. Create an ideal daily routine for your baby, in which he will have enough time to play, walk and sleep. From 3 to 7 years of age, a child needs at least 10 hours of sleep at night and 2 hours during the day. Daytime sleep is simply necessary, since it has a positive effect on the psycho-emotional state of the baby.
2. Do not allow watching programs and cartoons that do not correspond to your child’s age category and can cause unpredictable emotional outbursts.
3. Do not overload your baby with new experiences (reading, movies, watching TV) during the period of remission after treatment.
4. Don't overload your child by forcing him to memorize entire poems to show off to friends or parents in kindergarten.
5. When punishing a child, do not leave him alone in a dark room, as there is a high risk of developing obsessive fear. It is better to leave your baby without sweets or without his favorite toy if he has done something wrong.
6. Involve your child in music or dancing, this will help establish proper speech breathing, rhythm, tempo, and so the baby will relax and become more self-confident. Singing lessons are useful.

Stuttering in children is a fairly serious problem, but it can be completely eliminated if you pay attention to it in time and seek help from the right specialist.

What should you do if your child starts to stutter?

SDK: Classes with a speech therapist: stuttering

Dr. Komarovsky, together with speech therapist Victoria Goncharenko, will find out how parents should act if their child has a speech disorder: which doctor to see, which daily routine to choose, what to do with the baby. Also, Evgeny Olegovich and his guest will answer questions from the audience, describing algorithms for the behavior of parents with children who stutter.

Correctly developed speech in a child is the concern of any parent who wishes him a successful, happy life. Speech acquisition is one of the main developmental tasks of a younger preschooler. The most intensive and critical period of speech development occurs between the ages of 2 and 5 years. A younger preschooler may experience a disruption in this process such as stuttering. This phenomenon is not uncommon and therefore many methods have been developed to rid a child of stuttering.

• Stuttering in preschool children, especially younger ones, cannot always be immediately noticed at home. Children aged 2–3 years are not yet fully fluent in speech, and therefore not every parent can determine what causes pauses and repetition of syllables. Stuttering in children 3-5 years old is more noticeable and is more likely to alarm parents. They fear that this speech defect will remain with their child for a long time, perhaps forever, and will poison his school years and seriously interfere with his adult life.
• In children of primary school age, due to insufficiently developed speech function, there is a tendency to stutter, this is especially true for boys, since they are less emotionally stable than girls.

Meanwhile, with early diagnosis and proper treatment of stuttering in children, it is quite possible to get rid of it.

Stuttering in children is not just a speech defect, manifested in a slower rate of speech and repetition of parts of words, involuntary pauses, but a neurological problem. All these difficulties in speech are caused by convulsions of the articulatory organs and are associated with the work of the central nervous system. Although non-specialists call these problems with one general word: stuttering, doctors and speech therapists distinguish these types of problems.

Depending on the mechanism of occurrence, logoneurosis proper and neurosis-like stuttering are distinguished:

• Logoneurosis or neurotic stuttering is caused by functional disorders of the nervous system and can be treated quite successfully.
• Neurosis-like stuttering is caused by organic lesions of the central nervous system. It's much more difficult to deal with.
• Based on physical manifestations, more than 6 species are distinguished. But since most of them are mixed, we will name only the main types.
• Clonic, which manifests itself in repetitions and stretching of sounds, syllables or words beyond the child’s control.
• Tonic, in which from time to time the baby is unable to pronounce sounds and words, involuntary pauses occur in his speech.

How does stuttering manifest in a child?

It is not easy for parents to identify the signs of stuttering in a younger preschooler. A child aged 2–3 years is just mastering speech, and hesitations, repetitions, pauses and swallowing of the beginning or end of words occur in almost everyone, and obvious signs of stuttering may not appear. Even healthy people sometimes stammer, repeat syllables or drag out sounds. In healthy people, prolongation of sounds and hesitations do not exceed 7-9% of the total volume of speech. If interruptions and repetitions occupy more than 10% of the speech volume, doctors and speech therapists diagnose logoneurosis.

Parents should be wary if they discover the following signs in a child aged 2-3 years:

• He doesn’t just pause in the conversation, but physical tension is visible. The baby clenches his fists, the muscles of his face and neck tense, he may blush and turn pale.
• Breathing problems when talking. The child begins to speak on a full breath or immediately after it.
• Difficulties in speech are accompanied by various facial expressions - flaring of the wings of the nose, tension of the facial muscles, rapid movement of the eyeballs.

In children after 3 years of age, especially at 4 years old or especially 5 years old, when speech is already quite well developed, it is easier to notice deviations from the norm. At this age, the following signs are alarming:

1. Repeating the same sound or syllable more than twice.
2. A noticeable increase in voice with difficulty speaking.
3. Sudden, unmotivated silence in the middle of a conversation.
4. Facial accompaniment of obvious difficulties in pronouncing words.

The earlier the parents pay attention to alarming symptoms and the doctor diagnoses and corrects them, the more likely it is that classes with a speech therapist and a program of action from a psychologist will help get rid of the problem quickly enough.

If symptoms of stuttering are detected, parents should not have questions about what to do and whether this disease can be cured. It is necessary to take action immediately, because acute stuttering is much easier to treat than chronic stuttering. Diagnosis of stuttering should be the first, but not the last step on this path.

Risk factors for stuttering in primary school children

The following factors can create the prerequisites for the development of stuttering in children of primary school age and schoolchildren:

• The nervous system is emotionally labile. Children experience increased irritability, tearfulness, constant restlessness and poor sleep.
• Early or late onset of speech.
• Constant contact with people who stutter (family members, friends), whom the child begins to imitate.
• Lack of emotional contact with parents.
• Peculiarities of the formation and development of speech, when vowels are not pronounced or the vowels are stressed incorrectly. This phenomenon can become a habit and become a prerequisite for the development of stuttering in a child.
• The baby's health status.
• Inflated demands and expectations from loved ones, educators, and others.
• Myopia and predisposition to the disease, which is inherited.

Stuttering in children 3 years old: possible causes and treatment

Stuttering in children can be caused by various reasons, although in many discussion forums the most commonly cited reason is fear. Dr. Komarovsky confirms that fear can indeed be a cause of stuttering in young children, but not the only one. What characteristics of children can provoke the appearance of this problem.

1. Heredity.
2. Intrauterine brain damage.
3. Injuries during childbirth or pregnancy.
4. Severe infectious diseases.
5. Weak type of nervous system, impressionability or fearfulness of the baby.
6. Traumatic brain injuries.
7. Weakened immunity for various reasons.
8. Problems with the endocrine system.

All these reasons predispose to speech problems, and the trigger can be external reasons:

• Various stresses, from fear to family problems.
• Fears, general anxiety.
• Strictness and exactingness of parents.
• A high rate of speech by parents or, conversely, the presence of an adult who stutters in the family.
• During the period of speech development, increased speech load.
• The need to change kindergarten or move to another place of residence.

This is not a complete list of reasons and only specialists can accurately determine them after an examination.

Gymnastics for the tongue with a child. Speech therapy exercises

Treatment of stuttering in children

How to cure stuttering in a child, this issue is discussed on many parent forums. They offer a variety of methods, including hypnosis, conspiracy, medications, various home exercises, and share experiences. But it’s still better to decide what to do not after reading advice on forums, even from Dr. Komarovsky, or watching a video, but after consulting with children’s doctors - a speech therapist, a psychologist.

Therefore, the first step to treatment is diagnosis. The sooner the pediatrician examines the child and gives directions for examination, the greater the chance that the problems will be quickly resolved.

Diagnosis is carried out not by one doctor, but by several children’s doctors at once: speech therapist, psychologist, neurologist, ENT specialist. It is the identification of the causes that allows you to choose the right treatment program. If stuttering occurs as a result of stress, then a psychologist comes to the fore. If you have problems mastering speech, then a speech therapist. If the problem is with the central nervous system, then a pediatric neurologist.

And since logoneurosis often has several different causes, more than one doctor gives recommendations for treatment.

There are numerous methods for treating stuttering, among which the main ones can be identified:

• With the help of medications.
• Using various physical procedures.
• Speech therapy classes.
• Breathing exercises, baths, classic massage.
• Modern technologies: computer programs and various technical devices.

The most effective combination of several methods. They are determined by pediatricians.
There are numerous methods for treating stuttering, among which the main ones can be identified:
You can try to eliminate stuttering problems in children by following basic recommendations from specialists.

Stuttering in children. Children's doctor

General recommendations for the treatment of stuttering in children

1. Maintaining a daily routine: creating a regime that should take into account sleep standards for a child 3-7 years old - 2 hours of daytime sleep and 10-11 hours of night sleep, for children over 7 years old - 1.5 hours of daytime sleep and 8-9 hours of night sleep.
2. Creating a comfortable psychological environment in which comments and retaliation, noisy clarification of relationships between family members are excluded. Praising the child for his achievements is welcome without emphasizing the existing problems with the child stuttering.
3. Assisting in daily communication by speaking everyday sentences calmly and at a slow pace that the child will try to imitate.
4. Strengthening general health, which should be aimed at relieving nervous tension and avoiding situations that cause fatigue. Hardening procedures in the form of playing outside, rubbing with a damp towel and air baths can also have a positive effect on children who stutter.

Features of the course of logoneurosis

Unlike many other diseases that begin, develop progressively, and disappear after proper treatment, stuttering occurs in different ways. There are three types of logoneurosis.

• Stuttering, which, like a wave, either rolls in, intensifying, then rolls back, weakening, but does not completely pass. Typically, intensification occurs in spring and autumn, or after any stressful situations.
• With an even flow, constant. This is the most difficult to treat
• After a prosperous period in speech activity, relapses of the disease appear again and again.

The form of stuttering is characterized by a speech defect that does not depend on the action of any external factors.

The need to see a speech therapist

If the cause of stuttering was problems with the central nervous system, then a neuropathologist will first of all deal with eliminating or mitigating the cause. If logoneurosis is the result of any psychological problems, then a child psychologist will help to cope with them. But regardless of the reasons, it is necessary to overcome the emerging speech problems. Speech therapists can begin working with children who stutter when the child reaches the age of three.

Therefore, Dr. Komarovsky emphasizes that it is imperative to consult a speech therapist to correct stuttering. Only a speech therapist will be able to select the right exercises for the child, teach proper breathing and behavior patterns that will help relieve spasms and mitigate speech problems.

• Today, not only in Moscow, but in most cities of the country, every kindergarten and most schools have a child psychologist and speech therapist on their staff. As appointed by a special commission, group or individual lessons are conducted with children who need it.
• But to get rid of logoneurosis, psychological contact between the child and the speech therapist, between the speech therapist and the parents is especially important, so the choice of a specialist must be taken responsibly. A speech therapist at school or kindergarten is more likely to provide support in the second stage, after completion of the main treatment.
• The speech therapist conducts classes where he teaches the child tongue exercises, articulation exercises and massage, exercises to relieve muscle spasms, and breathing exercises. But this is only part of the job. A significant part also falls on parents, who must continue classes on the recommendation of a speech therapist at home, provide the child with a regime of silence and a calm, even environment at home.

Speech therapist lessons. Exercises for children 3-4 years old

Breathing exercises

Breathing exercises for stuttering in children are traditional methods and make it possible to make the voice more free and natural-sounding. To eliminate speech problems, it is necessary to teach the child to combine speech with proper breathing. This allows you to make speech smoother, and has a good effect on the entire respiratory system of a younger preschooler.

The speech therapist conducts special classes for this in a playful way and advises what to do at home. Parents can also help their child with breathing control with the simplest games and exercises.

• Let your baby blow soap bubbles or inflate balloons - these breathing exercises are not only useful, but also fun.
• Let's roll cotton wool into balls and play air football. The child must blow the ball into the conditional gate on the table.
• Create a storm in a glass of water using a straw.
• Try to keep a small feather or piece of napkin in the air while blowing.

If desired, parents will come up with many more fun games, during which breathing exercises will be involved and the main goal of which is to teach the child to control his breathing, the alternation of inhalation and exhalation, their strength and direction.

Acupressure

One of the means of alternative medicine that comes to help in the treatment of logoneurosis is acupressure. A good specialist should influence special points, and then this will certainly help get rid of speech problems quite quickly.

Massage for stuttering in children should take a course, the duration and intensity of which depends on the current age of the child and the diagnosed form of stuttering. Correctly selected acupressure for stuttering can give a positive result after the first course, when the nervous regulation of speech begins to recover. The main thing on this path is consistency.

Computer programs

Correction of stuttering in preschool children can be carried out using computer programs, the action of which is aimed at synchronizing the auditory and speech centers.

Overcoming stuttering occurs due to the fact that the child pronounces words into a microphone and hears them with a delay, thus trying to adapt to him. Children's speech becomes smooth and continuous. These exercises for stuttering allow a child who stutters to practice voice intonations in different situations: dissatisfaction, anger, indignation, etc.

Drug treatment

If the child is diagnosed by a specialized specialist, then a cure for stuttering can become one of the components of a general course aimed at eliminating stuttering in children of primary school age.

Most often, doctors prescribe drugs that can neutralize the blocking effect of those substances that interfere with the normal functioning of the nerve centers. To achieve maximum effect, medications and folk remedies in the form of infusions and decoctions of soothing herbs are combined.

If all components of the complex are correctly selected, treating stuttering in children at home can very quickly give a positive result.

Treatment according to Komarovsky

On the Internet you can find a video and a forum by Dr. Komarovsky, where he discusses, among other things, how to get rid of stuttering and what parents need to do to overcome stuttering in preschoolers. Komarovsky draws attention to what parents should do to support the treatment of a speech therapist and psychologist at home and help their children not stutter.

• Ensure strict adherence to the daily routine. Everything should have its time.
• No stress or difficult experiences during the day, and before bed, in the evening, only quiet entertainment, no vivid experiences.
• To strengthen the nervous system, take more walks in the fresh air.
• Following the recommendations of treating physicians aimed at treating a specific form of stuttering.

And then, says Komarovsky, it is quite possible to make a correction and get rid of stuttering.

According to reviews from parents who tried to wean their children from various forms of stuttering using modern methods of stuttering correction, it is possible to correct the child’s speech if not much time has passed since the first symptoms appeared.

Which doctor treats stuttering is determined depending on the cause and form of stuttering, and the stronger the manifestation of the disease, the greater the likelihood that it will be necessary to resort to more complex stuttering correction and take longer to correct the defect. If the disease is very advanced, then there is a chance that the speech defect will not go away, but only smooth out.

Important!!! In the process of treating a child, perseverance and consistency are important; the main thing to remember is that there are no easy ways.

Classes with a speech therapist: stuttering