Although there is no cure to stuttering, there are ways that you can stutter more easily. When you become more comfortable with your speech, you become more comfortable with yourself. That new-found confidence will make speaking a bit easier while making listeners more comfortable as well. Here are a few goals to strive for if you speak with a stutter:
Less Tension
When speaking, try your best to keep your nerves loose rather than letting your stutter cause tension. A good tip to do so is to keep your lips, tongue, and jaw moving gently without jamming. There is no need to talk slower in order to avoid stuttering; speak at your normal rate, but slow down when you feel like you may block on a word. Focus on staying confident and in control. Repeat this strategy each time you feel a block coming.
Be Deliberate
Being deliberate in your speech can make you feel more in control of your stutter. One technique to follow is to deliberately repeat the initial sound or syllable of a word on which you feel you may stutter. Being deliberately disfluent in that moment can help to eliminate fear because you are intentionally doing something that you might usually try to avoid. Throwing off some of that anxiety and fear can help to reduce tension, and your speech may flow a bit easier.
Decrease Your Fear
The main goal is to actively try things to decrease your fear of stuttering. Did you know that fear actually disrupts voluntary motor behavior, such as speech? It is reassuring to know that whenever your stutter, there is something you can do about it, whether it be releasing some tension, deliberate disfluency, or changing up your pattern of speech to keep yourself comfortable. Do what works best for you, and know that you are in control.
Patience
You must be patient in working to reduce your fear of stuttering. Most life changes do not happen overnight, so there is no need to rush. Focus on learning what is right for you and what feels best. It is all a learning process: learning techniques and learning how to develop the right attitude. Have an approach rather than an avoidance attitude.
SpeechEasy
If you are a person who stutters, SpeechEasy may be the right device for you. It is a fully portable prosthetic device that is worn in or behind one of the client’s ears. With SpeechEasy, the Choral Speech Effect is achieved through a combination of Delayed Auditory Feedback (DAF) and Frequency Altered Feedback (FAF). If you are interested in one of our devices, contact us today or schedule an appointment!
