Do's and Don'ts for
Talking to Your Child
 Do:
- listen patiently and speak slowly when talking to your child.
- pause a second or so when responding to your child's questions
or comments.
- promote family conversation during dinner.
- keep eye contact, or when you can't, reassure your child
that you are still listening.
- spend at least five minutes talking with your child each
day.
Don't:
- interrupt, hurry your child to finish talking, or complete
sentences for your child.
- talk rapidly to your child.
- correct or criticize your child's speech.
- tell your child to take a deep breath before talking or to
slow down.
- make your child perform public speeches or read aloud.
To find a local speech therapist with experience treating
stuttering, call the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
at (800) 638-8255 or the Stuttering Foundation of America
at (800) 992-9392. The Stuttering Foundation also provides
other resources.
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