ADVISING PARENTS OF EARLY STUTTERERS

[摘要] A brief review of a number of research studies on stuttering is presented. Physiologic and biochemical differences between stutterers and nonstutterers were found to be slight or absent. The increased muscle tension and the startle reaction pattern of most adult stutterers explain the differences found.Research has shown that repetition is normally present in the speech of preschool children. Parents or other persons may mistakenly diagnose this repetition as stuttering. Such a misevaluation leads to unwarranted concern over the child's speech and disapproval of his repetitions. In a vain effort to eliminate nonfluency, the child develops tension which increases the frequency and duration of the moments of nonfluency. Therapy for the beginning stutterer is directed at the parents, and takes the form of education as to realistic standards for speech of preschool children generally, and reassurance as to the essential normality of their own child's speech.

[学科分类] 儿科学