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From: Alan Badmington
Date: 14 Oct 2004
Time: 11:58:29 -0500
Remote Name: 81.77.165.177
Hi Margaret, Thank you for your valuable contribution. I had an idyllic childhood in a loving and caring home. My parents were always supportive in everything I did, and encouraged me to do whatever I wanted in life. They never did anything to impair my self-esteem. I know I was so fortunate. Quite obviously, there must have been some discussion about my stutter when I first visited a speech therapist at the age of 7/8. It was so long ago that I really can't remember much ;-) Sadly, both my parents are now deceased, so I can't confirm exactly what occurred. I understand that my stuttering commenced when I was aged about 3. It appears that my paternal grandmother (who was living with us at the time) intervened when I began displaying some dysfluency. (It is, of course, quite normal for children of that age to display such behaviour as they attempt to come to terms with their speech and language development.) It is my belief that she made an issue of it - she drew my attention to the way in which I was speaking. She asked me to repeat words - thereby sowing the seeds of the stuttering crop that was to continue to flourish over the next 50 years. I have no doubt that my parents acknowledged my speech difficulties but chose not to make them the focus of attention. I was always a happy child, despite my stutter, although it is true to say that it played a more significant part in my life from the age of 11 years onwards when I left the benign environment of the junior school. I think that parents tread a very precarious path. If they draw too much attention to the stutter, then it can consume the child - influencing his/her every thought and action. They need to recognise its existence, without creating too much interference or fuss - while also seeking professional guidance in appropriate cases. Ideally, they should also set aside some quality time to spend with the child. I feel that they should encourage their offspring to talk openly about any problems that he/she might be encountering, making sure not to impose any time pressure. I know one couple whose child commenced 'stuttering' at about the age of 5 years. Their obvious anxiety and concern appeared to be transmitted to the child, exacerbating the situation. They visited a speech and language therapist (without the child being present) and were advised to totally ignore any dysfleuncy that was occurring. They duly complied and the problem disappeared within a few days and has never returned. Thank you for your interest. Kindest regards Alan