A day to promote the message that early intervention can help stutterers

Slow down when you speak. That’s advice not just for children who stutter but for their parents too. Being more relaxed in your own speech helps a stutterer more than telling them to “try it again slowly.”

The tip comes from the Stuttering Foundation, which marks International Stuttering Awareness Day on Friday. The goal is to spread the word about early intervention, reports the Newport News Daily Press blog Health Notes.

Not every kid who stutters will do so for the rest of his or her life. Young children may outgrow it within six months, but for those who don’t, early treatment with a speech therapist can make a big difference. Some of the reasons for stuttering may have to do with brain development but the Los Angeles Times reported on the discovery in February of a gene linked to stuttering.

The Stuttering Foundation provides information and resources for parents, kids, teens and adults as well as a newsletter interesting to many people (not just stutterers).

--Mary Forgione / For the Los Angeles Times