Hey Mommas!
I need a little guidance, a little advice. I have a 7 year old son who has a stutter. It started when he was about 5 and seems to have been getting worse. I had him in speech therapy for almost a year, it helped but very little. He went for 1/2 an hour twice a week for about 4 months and then once a week after that. He didn't stutter while he was in his sessions with the therapist but it would start again within half an hour after we left. I have tried to work with him at home but it still persists.
Now I have started to notice in addition to the stutter he is developing tics it started as facial twitches that I thought were an attempt to talk but now it has turned into a sniffing throat clearing thing that goes on all day, no allergy medcine, cold medecine or running the humidifier has helped.
He is homeschooled and so that keeps him from being ridiculed by other children but it is so painful for me to watch my little man unable to get out what he is trying to say. He is such a great kid and has so much he wants to share and he has so much trouble.
I'm not sure where to go from here, I have read alot about the connection between tics, stuttering, and ADD, also success with diet changes and vitamin supplements. He exibits alot of ADD symptoms and I want to try anything I can to help him. But I'm not sure where to start. His pediatrician is the one who referred me to the speech therapy, I'm not sure whether to go back to her, or find a psychologist or what...??? Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I would ask the ped and the speech therapist what the next step would be. Maybe get an opinion from another speech therapist? Good luck
K. Z.
Have him evaluated by a pediatic nerologist. I have a son with a speech disorder and we have been on a waiting list to get into see a nurologist because its more than just a speech delay. Take your time and get a thorough diagnosis. Tics and be other things than adhd.
Maybe it's time to put him in school and let specialists who are trained and certified to deal with these things work with him?? Also, why did you take him out of therapy? Did the therapist tell you there was nothing they could do? If it was starting to help while he was there, maybe he just needed more time and effort with someone other than his mother who feels bad for him? If he shows signs of ADD, shouldn't you have him checked?
It sounds like you need to get professionals involved because he's getting worse, not better, under your tutelage. I'm all for homeschooling when the parents are prepared to educate their children, but it doesn't sound like you are really doing everything he needs at this point.
Has he been evaluated for Tourettes Syndrome? If he has Tourettes then there is possibly medication that can help control the stutter and tics. You would probably need to have evaluated by a psychologist for this. I hope this helps a bit.
J.
please ask your dr about somethingcalled turretts syndrome and i know i didnt spell it right but its close.this is what it sounds like.or look it up or ask some one in the drs worlds if they have heard of it beecause these symptoms sounds like it
I would return to the Peds and explain the symptoms he is now having, and ask where to go next. The fact that it is fine while in Speech therapy, and returns as soon as he leaves suggests it isn't just a speech problem. Make sure you tell the MD about the tics and stuttering. He should be able to tell you what your next step should be, whether psychologist, psychiatrist, or who. You might also look into having him tested through the school. The state requires schools to test all children in the district, I believe that includes homeschooled children. They can test for emotional problems, ADD, ADHD, as well as learning problems.
good luck!
R.
First of all, congrats on home-schooling your kids. I want to encourage you that no one loves them or knows them better than you do, and I can tell what a wonderful mother and teacher you are to them.
It is true that the providers who work in the public schools must also provide testing and services to home-schooled students too. These services are free of charge. I would also suggest having him evaluated by a pediatric neurologist and the other specialists mentioned. If your insurance requires it, you may have to go through his pediatrican. Probably this is a good idea anyway, as the pediatician will then get feedback from all of the evaluations and mesh it into a concise recommendation to help your son. I would not give up on him yet.
Personally, I did not speak clearly until 5th grade, and spoke my first words at age 4. I am forever grateful to my parents who did not give up on me. Your son will feel that way too when he is older.
Our family got some great help from the Stuttering Foundation. Check their site at www.stutteringhelp.org. They have online videos and other great resources.
I have stuttered for 43 years..Please do not label him as a stutterer!! The ticks are probably stress due to being told he is a stutterer!! I have attained so many habbits over the years. If you ignore it..it might go away. If you get it in his mind he stutters it will be a life long battle...leave it alone for now. I hope it is not to late. Just listen to him and do not rush him or make him think you are studying him. Please!!!
I know this is an old thread. But i was wondering how ur son is doing. My son who is 7 sounds an awful lot like ur son did. He stammers a lot and has these throat clearing tics .
Hi K.!
I guess I have 2 things for you. The first is: Have you considered your son may have developed tourettes? Just something to think about. The other is: I heard with people that have a studdering problem, enroll them in acting/theater. I have heard this many many times. It may be scarey for the child at first but it really does help with the studdering.
Sorry I couldn't be more help & good luck with your lil man!
K.,
You could talk to the pediatrican, especially if you need a referal from him for your insurance to cover specialists. There are several that you could try, but given his age, and the span of different professionals he is likely to need, you may have the best luck with a Developmental Pediatricain. This kind of professional will do a full evaluation that will include a referal to all the necessary diciplines that will likely include neurology, psychology, speech, language, occupational, and educational asepcts. It may take a while to get in to see one, so make the appointment as soon as possible and ask to be on the cancelation waiting list. You can find Developmental Pediatricians at the nearest Children's hospital.
You may be able to get in sooner if you go to a neurologist, who would be a good choice for tic disorders. Tourett Syndrome can mannefest with tics and ADHD like symptoms, but he may have a combination of comorbid conditions, and you absolutley want the comprehensive evaluation that a Developmental Pediatrican will provide (even if you go to a neruologist now.) The Developmental Pediatrician will give you a comprehensive plan and will act as a case manager for his treatment.
Good luck to you. My biggest advice is for you to get some help for you too. That pain you feel will not go away with a diagnosis, and if he does have a significant issue, being a care giver is hard work and you will need help. Been there, done that, start early with your own mental health care.
M.
Hi K.. It looks like you got a lot of good advice already. I just wanted to encourage you as both a speech therapist and a homeschooling mom. You have been, and are being, pro-active for your son. Stuttering can be very tricky to treat. It can come and go throughout a lifetime. I would call and chat with the speech therapist who saw him previously as well as explore the other options mentioned. There can be many many reasons for the changes he is experiencing.
Just as an aside, I treated a high school student who was often completely fluent the entire 30 minutes with me then walked into the hallway at school and stuttered severely. That's part of what can be tricky about treating stuttering. The therapy room and therapist can be a stimulus for behavior modification to his speech but it can be difficult to carry over to spontaneous speech in other locations and with other people. Don't take it personally...you obviously love your child very much and are getting him the resources he needs.
The only other advice I would give you right now would be to keep it relaxed when talking with him. Don't try to hurry him or finish his sentences for him. Stress and anxiety usually only make it more difficult for someone who stutters. Maybe at dinner or another time, make a rule where each person gets a chance to talk or tell about something without being interrupted by anyone else.
Here is a link about stuttering from the American Speech and Hearing Association (which licenses speech therapists).
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/stuttering.htm
Best wishes!
K.
NET (Neuro Emotional Technique) could really help with that. Find a chiropractor or therapist who does it.
http://www.netmindbody.com/patients/index.asp
also NOT (Neuro Organizational Technique) would be even better, but it's less common and hard to find.
my aunt, a chiropractor in Illinois, knows both of these, not sure where you live, or if you're interested in alternative therapies... anyway i recommend it.
Start with your pediatrician. He needs to know about the new symptoms. I would assume he would send you to a nuerologist to have him evaluated. I am assuming he had a hearing test and everything was normal. There could be a lot of things going on here; allergies, ears, ocd. Ear issues are tied to stuttering. My friend got some device she puts on her ear and it stopped her stuttering. YOu need to have him evaluated by a pediatric specialist.
Obviously go the professional route that has been advised previously. But for the short-term, I'm wondering if having him sing what he wants to say to you may help? I've seen several adults tame their stutter by doing that. Of course, you'll need to make a game of it and "sing" to him as well. Doesn't have to be a real tune, just using his voice in a different way. I hope you find something that helps!
