School is back in session! While some students celebrate heading back to class, children who are bullied may not be so enthusiastic. One of the biggest reasons for bullying is having a disability like a stutter. Although stuttering occurs in both children and adults, it’s most commonly reported in children. Out of those children, as many as 10 out of 100 may experience this speech impediment. While impediments like a stutter can affect anyone’s confidence, children often have no filter, which makes them prone to rude comments. Bullying can not only affect your child’s confidence and mental well-being but their performance in school as well. Parents often feel helpless when it comes to dealing with bullying, but it doesn’t have to be this way! Here are three ways to handle bullies when your child has a stuttering device.
Educate Yourself
One of the best ways to handle bullying is through education, and that education should start with the parent. Learn as much as you can about your child’s stutter and any stuttering device they may use. There are three main types of stutters, developmental, neurogenic, and psychogenic. This last type is typically caused by trauma. Although this type of stutter is rare, you can make sure this is not the type of stutter your child has by booking a therapy appointment. Even if it’s determined your child’s stutter has not been caused by trauma, continuing therapy can help you and your child come up with ways to combat bullying and feeling low. If the bullying is severe, make sure you know your school’s disciplinary rules and bring these up in any meetings with your child’s teacher. You may also want to explore learning more about the bully. Since many bullies project their insecurities onto others, if you can determine what those are, you may be able to help your child come up with kind ways to react to their tactics.
Educate Your Child
While your child knows they have a stutter, they may not understand why. Teaching them about their type of stutter can help them feel more in control of things. Look into finding books about stuttering or books with characters who stutter that are written for children. Knowing facts about their stutter can also be a great deflection tool to use on school bullies. Instead of becoming upset at a snide comment, your child can use that moment as an opportunity to teach their bully and other classmates about stuttering. Booking appointments with a Speech Language Pathologist, if you haven’t already, will be one of your best resources for how to help your child learn more about their stutter as well as learn how to improve it. If your child has an especially severe stutter, you can also try a stuttering device like SpeechEasy to help your child stop stuttering, hopefully ridding your child of the bully.
Educate Their Teachers
Though some teachers may have experience teaching children who are bullied for disabilities like stuttering, not everyone will. One of the best ways to help arm your child’s teacher is to educate them on your child’s speech impediment and any stuttering device they use. If your child sees a speech therapist, ask them for any pamphlets they may have on hand that you could give to your child’s teachers. If they’re presented with materials, they’ll be much more likely to read through them than if you ask them to research themselves. Learning about their student’s disabilities can help give them better tools to tackle any bullying they might catch. If the bullying is consistent and you aren’t seeing results, call a meeting with them to see what disciplinary actions can be taken to curb it. If you feel your child’s teachers are still not taking things seriously, you can also contact the school principal for additional support.
SpeechEasy | Stuttering Device
We hope these three steps help you to better understand how to handle a stuttering child’s bully. Is your child suffering from a speech impediment? SpeechEasy can help! Our stuttering device is proven to drastically reduce stuttering in both children and adults. Choose from four different models of anti stammering devices, all with unique attributes and price points. Looking for a discount? Check out our current promotions! With over 20 years of research behind our products, we guarantee your satisfaction or your money back. If you’re ready to stop stuttering, contact our stammering device’s site today!