Therapies

Many stutterers do benefit from different types of therapies and support groups. Some methods that work for a group of people might not be successful for others. For all stutterers, treatment does not always refer to specific speech therapy strategies, but also the mental and emotional aspects. For example, learning to accept your stutter is the first part. When someone tries to hide and deny their stutter, it actually ends up making them stutter more because they are constantly anxious and stressed about the way they talk. When it is accepted, the stutterer is able to go about their lives with less anxiety and that ends up making them more fluent overall. 

Speech therapy is a really effective tool for all stutterers. Speech therapy teaches a variety of speaking strategies that stutterers can use when they are having a stuttering moment. For example, one of the strategies is called pull through. When a prolongation of a sound is happening, the stutterer tries to ease the tension and “pull-through” the sound making it a smoother sound. 

On top of speech therapy that provides speaking strategies and emotional/mental health, there are many support groups that stutterers benefit from. The NSA, or National Stuttering Association, has groups for adults and teens where they can come together and talk about their lives with stuttering. Connecting with people that are going through the same things as you can really have an impact on your life.