I love analogies.
So here’s one for you…

Often the first instinct, when there’s a grease fire in your kitchen, is to dump a bucket of water on it. Of course, most of us know better. We know a lot about fire and we know that water will only make a grease fire spread.

We don’t know a lot about why someone starts to stutter. Our first instinct is to “put out the fire” by suggesting a child talk differently in order to not stutter. But like water to a grease fire, this will most likely only exacerbate the problem.

Why? Because the suggestion is apt to create more anxiety around talking. We may not know much about the cause of stuttering, but we do know that anxiety to stuttering is like water to a grease fire.

So let’s just put a lid on it.

Keep them talking and keep talking fun!

Best,
Doreen (Dori) Lenz Holte
Author of Voice Unearthed: Hope, Help, and a Wake-Up Call for the Parents of Children Who Stutter