“Can speech therapy help my stutter?”
I tend to stutter a lot, and it has affected a large part of my life. I'm at the point where I know I need to get fixed, especially if I want to advance in my career. It's not really hindering my advancement, but still... it kind of does because a lot of people don't understand what I'm saying. Should I go to speech therapy? How will it help my stutter?
11 Answers
Yes, speech therapy can give you ways/strategies to reduce your dysfluencies. Seek out a speech language pathologist that specializes in dysfluencies in your area.
Kimberly Baradei
Speech-Language Pathologist
Hi! Thanks for reaching out to me with your question. Speech therapy can definitely help reduce stuttering. Since it is a neurodiversity, it will stay with you throughout your life, but you can learn to manage the symptoms and feel more in control. I encourage you to take that first step and contact a Speech therapist that has experience with stuttering.
Thank you for reaching out. Speech/language therapy can definitely help you learn strategies to manage your specific type of stutter because every person who has a stutter stutters differently - but there should be some "mental health"/talk about feelings with your stutter incorporated into each session as well. Some people want to eliminate their stutter, or lessen it, and some people want to learn how to be OK that they stutter and learn how to teach others what a stutter is and that's just part of who you are. And some people want both. Every SLP is different in how they approach stuttering. You just need to find one that fits what you want, but you can definitely get some guidance. Good luck!
I have seen many adults that want to have clearer speech. Some that truly exhibit stuttering difficulties and some that stumble over words. In answer to your questions, yes, speech therapy can help you with managing stuttering but it does not cure it. Speech therapy will teach you strategies to help you manage stuttering behaviors such as repetitions, prolongations, and blocks. It will also help with physical concomitants such as starters, eye blinking, and posturing. If this is something you might be interested in, please feel free to contact our office for a free consultation.
Thank you for reaching out and I hope you are able to see this reply! If you’re feeling that stuttering is holding you back for whatever reason(s), I would absolutely encourage you to get speech therapy! I do want you to know that there is no cure for stuttering currently and we do not know exactly what causes stuttering yet. But, speech therapists (especially those specifically trained in “fluency”) can help by teaching you various strategies that can allow for smoother speech. It will involve you quite a bit in the process and often it requires your awareness and active participation while in and out of speech therapy. But it can be very helpful for many people. :)
An evaluation with a speech language pathologist experienced in dysfluency
will be able to provide a comprehensive view of strategies to improve
speech fluency
will be able to provide a comprehensive view of strategies to improve
speech fluency
You should definitely see a speech pathologist. The amount of help depends on severity of your symptoms. They canhelp you manage your symptoms so people can understand you. You will learn strategies to control your disfluency. Also if you have any secondary features e.g. twitching muscles, poor eye contact or avoiding words etc. you may also explore a device called SpeechEasy that is worn like a hearing aid and helps people control their fluency while they are wearing it. There are some agents in Houston. Good luck.
I would definitely go to speech therapy. See a speech language pathologist who has experience treating stuttering to learn different compensatory strategies to help your speech be more fluent.
Terlenda Lassiter
Speech-Language Pathologist
YES speech therapy can help your dysfluency! Please go and get an assessment. There are also SLPs who are board certified in dysfluency as well. Email www.asha.org to see if they can help you locate one in your area.
A speech therapist will provide you with techniques and strategies to produce fluent speech. I do recommend consulting with a speech therapist if you think your speech is negatively impacting your every day life.
Speech therapy can help your stutter by practicing strategies with you as well as cognitive behavioral therapy. Yes, I think going to speech therapy would be beneficial.
