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Nicola Lathey

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Posts posted by Nicola Lathey

  1. Posted

    Yes.  I would go to the Health Visitor and ask for a referral to the Speech and Language therapy department and then follow the advice from the BSA (British Stammering Association) in the meantime.  I hope that makes sense.  Take care, Nicola x

  2. Posted

    Hello,

    It's good to hear from you.

    The general advice is to go to the Health Visitor to request an assessment by a speech and language therapist as soon as possible, and while you are waiting for the assessment, follow the advice set out by the British Stammering Association:

    WHEN TALKING WITH YOUR CHILD

    How you and others respond is important and will shape your child’s perception of themselves. Be measured in your response - try not to show you’re worried even if that’s how you’re feeling. Remain calm and relaxed and try to:

    • slow down your own rate of speech, but don't tell your child to slow down or take a deep breath
    • have one-on-one time (just five minutes every day) with your child, where they aren’t competing for attention with tasks or other family members 
    • ask one question at a time and give them plenty of time to answer
    • use short, simple sentences.

    WHEN LISTENING TO YOUR CHILD

    Resist the very strong temptation to show anxiety, impatience or to correct or fill in their speech. Try instead to:

    • keep natural eye-contact 
    • listen to what your child is saying, not how they say it
    • pause before answering questions
    • make sure everyone in the conversation gets a turn to speak
    • acknowledge speech difficulties with reassurance and encouragement, if that feels right for you and your child. You might say something like, "Learning to talk is quite a hard thing to do - lots of people get stuck on their words and that’s OK. You’re doing really well." 

    Stammers can be just a temporary phase or they can carry-on longer.  Some of the red flags to look out for are:

    - if the stammer has been present for longer than two or three months

    - if there's a family history of stammering

    - is there are other speech sound difficulties 

    - if the stammer has started after the age of 3.5 years.

    We're here if you need us and I hope things improve quickly.

    Nicola Speech and Language Therapist (The Owl Centre)

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