WHEN TO REFER TO A
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
Children with severe stuttering problems should be referred?ÿimmediately. Children who have mild stuttering problems that have not?ÿshown marked improvement within six to eight weeks, depending on the child, should also be referred. These children should be given direct?ÿtreatment if it is warranted, and their parents will receive support and guidance, and they will be followed carefully.
Some children with mild problems may receive direct treatment, but?ÿit should be carefully planned so as not to make the child feel?ÿapprehensive or self-conscious about the problem. Children with normal disfluency do not need to be referred?ÿunless the parents are so concerned that they need reassurance about?ÿthe normalcy of their childƒ??s speech. They may also be followed by?ÿthe speech clinician to provide additional guidance if needed.
The speech-language pathologist should have a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and should also be licensed by the state in?ÿwhich he or she practices. Certification requires a masterƒ??s degree?ÿfrom an accredited university, a national examination, and a year of?ÿsupervised internship. In addition, the speech-language pathologist?ÿto whom a child is referred for stuttering should be experienced with?ÿthe disorder. Many hospital and university speech and language?ÿclinics will have such persons on their staff or can suggest one.?ÿMost school systems also employ speech-language pathologists. The Stuttering Foundation of America?ÿprovides referrals to qualified therapists in most areas of the?ÿcountry. Their toll-free telephone number is 800-992-9392. They?ÿ also provide books and DVDs?ÿfor parents: Stuttering and Your Child: Help for Parents, a 30 minute?ÿ DVD; Stuttering and Your Child: Questions and Answers, a 64 page?ÿbook; If Your Child Stutters: A Guide for Parents, 7th edition, a 64?ÿpage book; Stuttering: For Kids By Kids, a 12 minute DVD for?ÿchildren; and for teenagers Do You Stutter: A Guide for Teens, all?ÿfor a nominal cost. Click here?ÿto find these products.
Conclusion
Pediatricians, family physicians, and other healthcare providers are?ÿoften the first professionals to whom parents turn for advice about?ÿtheir childƒ??s disfluencies.
These professionals can help in the prevention of stuttering. Early?ÿidentification of children at risk for chronic stuttering and?ÿappropriate referral is critical. Moreover, effective parent?ÿcounseling can often create an environment conducive for children to?ÿoutgrow their disfluencies.
The authors of this booklet too often meet severe adult stutterers?ÿwhose parents were told ƒ??Donƒ??t worry, heƒ??ll outgrow itƒ?? so that the?ÿopportunity for therapy when the disorder is most treatable has been?ÿmissed. We have repeatedly found that when children are referred?ÿearly, treatment is most effective, even in cases of severe?ÿstuttering. Early intervention prevents the development of lifelong?ÿhabits that interfere with social, academic, and occupational success.
Guitar, B., & Conture, E. G. (Eds.) (2006). The child who stutters: To the pediatrician.?ÿFourth edition, publication 0023. Memphis, TN: Stuttering Foundation of America.