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Video review of The School-Age Child Who Stutters

Feb 10th 2008

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by: JP79
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Video review of The School- Age Child Who Stutters

Teachers deal with a variety of learning issues on a daily basis. Stuttering is one of many problems a teacher may encounter when working with students. It is important for teachers to be able to recognize the different problems and address them in the most effecient way possible. The School – Age Child Who Stutters is a video that addresses the issue of stuttering and the implications for the teacher.

The video first describes the four common types of stuttering. The first one discussed in the video is monosyllabic whole- word repetition. In monosyllabic stuttering the child repeats a whole word two or more times such as: cuz, cuz, or then, then, then. Repetition of sounds and syllables is the second type of stuttering. An example used in the video is of a child trying to say the word see. He stretches it out repeating the first letter, s s s s ee. Sound prolongation is the third type of stuttering. An example used for this is a child who stretches out the word sometimes to soooooo metimes. The most recognizable form of stuttering is block stuttering. This is when the child gets stuck on the first part of the word or before the word is pronounced. It is also the least likely to improve without therapy.

The video also describes the methods therapist use to help correct stuttering. Because there are many differences in school aged children who stutter it is important to first explore and identify the speech. Second the video suggests ways to change and modify the speech. The last recommendation is transferring changes to everyday situations such as school. Therapists themselves may pretend stutter to help children recognize the differences in speech. They also encourage the students to elaborate on their stutter to help feel the transition to the next word.

The video suggests that the best way to deal with the problem is to have an understanding of the child’s beliefs and fears about stuttering. Many children have a fear that they will get stuck on a word and

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not be able to talk at all. Some also feel frustrated and embarrassed during a stuttering incident, which may lead to a feeling of panic and rush to finish the sentence. The video said the worst fear that stuttering children have is not being able to say what they want to say when they want to say it. Teasing is also a big concern. It is important for the teacher to be able to recognize when a child is being teased and to have zero tolerance for teasing. The video recommends that the teacher have a conversation with the other students about stuttering. The video also stresses the importance of the teacher’s need to understand the basic strategies used when dealing with this speech problem. The therapy may become a long process and teachers need to have patience in the classroom. Positive reinforcement and understanding of the child’s frustration are the main teaching implications. The video discourages teachers from filling in the word or speaking for the student.

This video was very informative. It gave a general overview for parents, therapists, and teachers. It is important not just for special education teachers, but for all teachers to have a general understanding of speech problems so that they may not be confused with behavior problems.