8. Parents: to talk or not to talk about stuttering

To talk or not to talk about stuttering with your child, client, or yourself if you're a person who stutters and how to talk about it - this might not seem like a big question. Yet, it's the cornerstone of your relationship with stuttering. It determines whether you (your kid or your clients) feel panic or joy about speaking interaction. 

In this episode you’ll hear and learn:

  • Why "protecting" your child from this conversation about stuttering is not a good idea.
  • Why the same applies to speech therapists and people who stutter as well. 
  • Why it is so painful to talk about stuttering. Why stuttering feels like failing. 
  • What is the alternative to our typical "you can do it!" (fluency-driven) and "you didn't do it, but that's ok" (acceptance-driven) approaches. 
  • Why "you can do it your way" is so powerful and what it actually means.
  • About successful people who stutter or stuttered, I talk more about it more in "10 facts about stuttering."
  • How you can provide your child with guidance on how to deal with stuttering.
  • How to build a healthy relationship with stuttering, speaking and yourself. 

As an action item, I suggest talking to your child about stuttering. If you're a speech-language pathologist, I suggest that you incorporate this approach in the way how you interact with your clients. And if you're a person who stutters maybe it's the first time you can have an honest conversation about stuttering with yourself. 

Full episode description: https://www.freefromstutter.com/podcasts/free-from-stutter-team/episodes/2147802429 

If you're a parent and you want to go deeper into how you can truly help your child who stutters - join my free training here.