Dear Ann Landers:
Your recent column on stuttering caught my eye. I am a certified speech-language pathologist and president of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and I urge parents to have their children evaluated by a certified speech-language pathologist as soon as they suspect that their child may be stuttering. While some children do outgrow disfluent speech, a speech-language pathologist can help determine if your child will need intervention. Stuttering can have a profoundly devastating effect if left untreated.
If a child stutters, parents should know how to communicate in a manner that may help reduce anxiety and frustration. The following techniques can help relieve the stress a child may be experiencing:
Ann Landers' response:
Nancy B. Swigert, president
Dear Nancy Swigert: Thank you for your helpful and compassionate suggestions. Your organization is another excellent resource for stutterers who have been plagued by this affliction for years. I want to thank you on behalf of all of them.