Speech Disorders Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1 I am a newly hired marketing executive in a Multinational Company. I have stammering problem when I speak in front of many people. I have to give many presentations in my company. What should I do to speak better at public speaking?

Being in marketing department you need to interact with many people and share your unique ideas and with stammering it can be a difficult task. But the first and foremost step is to stop worrying and be positive. In all means, worrying and anxiety increases your stammering problem.

Following things can help you-

• Be patient
• Speak slowly and avoid rushing with time
• Pause and speak
• Take deep breath and then speak.
• Try to practice speech in alone to relax and improve fluency
• Use more of body language
• Be positive and stop worrying while speaking
• Focus on the content of speech rather than how you deliver it
• If you get stuck in any word use alternative word which you find easy to speak
• Do not pay much attention to stuttering while speaking; more you try to stop it, worse it becomes
• Remember when you speak a good content nobody minds to wait for you to take your time and finish

Also consider Homeopathic treatment at the earliest which can help you in overcoming this public stammering problem with amazing results. Homeopathy has many medicines for stammering which will remove your problems from its roots.To get HOMEOPATHIC treatment from our expert doctors at the earliest, click on Speech Disorders Homeopathic Treatment.

2 My 3 year old daughter seems to stammer sometimes. What should I do?

It is very natural for parents to worry about their kid's speech problem. But do not panic. With assistance your child can have a very bright future. Kids at this age usually stammer due to limited vocabulary, lack of pronunciation knowledge etc. Also their speech is developing at this age, and not fully developed. In majority of the cases, Stammering goes away on its own.

It is advisable for you that you should refrain yourself from correcting your little one's speech at this stage. At this age your child is unaware of her stammering, if you will try to improve her, then she will become conscious of her speech and may develop stammering for lifetime.

Following points may be of your great help-

• Do not pay much attention to her stuttering
• Do not be impatient with her
• Encourage her to speak more, but without forcing
• Praise her while she tries to speak, encourage her to ask questions, share ideas, give opinion etc
• Give her time to complete her sentence, do not interrupt or fill in words
• Never criticise her
• Practice talking with her at home. You should also talk slowly to her.
• Do not fill words while she is speaking, let her finish without urge to complete faster
• Do not make your child feel that she is taking more time to finish, maintain eye contact, try to look interested.

Most importantly, consult specialist for expert opinion if your child needs any treatment, since early treatment can prevent Speech Disorders in kids. To get HOMEOPATHIC treatment from our expert doctors at the earliest, click on Speech Disorders Homeopathic Treatment.

3 What is Selective Mutism?

Selective Mutism or Elective Mutism is an anxiety disorder. It is often seen in young kids who prefer not to speak in some situations even when they are able to communicate. There is no speech problem but these kids are either anxious or shy or lack confidence. They are usually clingy and avoid speaking to strangers. They may also avoid eye contact. But they can speak well, when they want to do so.

4 What kind of diet is advisable in Speech disorder?

Following food may be of great help in boosting immunity and speech power of your kid-

• In general a balanced diet of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins is essential for a normal development of child.
• Include fish like salmon, flaxseeds, walnuts, soybeans, soy paneer (tofu) etc for ample supply of omega -3 fatty acids.
• Include leafy dark green vegetables and food fortified with folic acids like breads, wheat flour in diet.
• Include more of Vitamin E containing foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc. in diet.
• Include food containing zinc, phosphorus, magnesium in diet for better overall development of child. Include dairy foods, fish, rice, nuts, chocolates, spinach, tomatoes, ginger, cumin, cloves, eggs, beans, peas, yogurt etc.
• Avoid allergy causing foods.
• Avoid junk foods, deep fried foods and processed foods.
• Avoid food dyes, artificial colors in child's diet.

5 What are usual field of difficulty in Speech Disorder?

Proper speech has many elements in it which needs to be correct. Speech impairment mainly includes articulation, fluency and voice disorder difficulties.

• Speech disorders can be because of articulation problems like denture misalignment, cleft palate, poor muscle coordination as in cerebral palsy or in brain injury. Speech is distorted here making it hard for listeners to understand.
• Fluency is a part of proper speech. But in speech disorders there can be great disfluencies where there is repetition of words like in stuttering. Stuttering or Stammering is the most common disfluency.
• There could be voice disorders where there is obstruction in the airways like vocal cord tumors, enlarged adenoids etc resulting in hoarse, breaking, raspy, pitch and volume is altered, nasal tones of voice.

6 How can parents help in preventing with Speech Disorder in their kids?

Parents play a very crucial role in not only speech development in kids but in overall development of their children.

• Talk a lot to your small babies since child learns speech by listening.
• Practice speech at home with small children regularly.
• Encourage your child to speak more without forcing them.
• If baby is having hearing problems or persistent ear infections, consult specialist immediately.
• Monitor your child's milestone development closely.
• Avoid disfluency of speech in toddlers.
• Do not correct their mistakes or pressurize them to speak correctly, or later they can develop stammering
• Seek help of specialist if there is any delay in milestone, child was born premature and had low birth weight, positive family history etc.

7 What is Voice disorder?

Voice Disorder is a type of Speech Disorder.

• It may be result of physical impairment of vocal cords and larynx
• Voice is hoarse, breaking, raspy, pitch and volume is altered, nasal tones etc are common in voice disorder
• There may be because of obstruction in the airways like vocal cord tumors, enlarged adenoids etc.
• Even things like voice overuse, screaming, singing, acid reflux moving up, nerve damage, vocal cord tumours etc can cause voice disorders.
• Problems in Phonation and Resonance process leads to voice disorders. This includes altered voice quality, pitch, hyper or hypo nasal tone.
• Process like Phonation (a process, where voice produces as air in lung, moves up and vibrates the vocal cords) and Resonance (this air now passes through throat, nose and mouth) are important from normal voice but problems in these can cause Speech Disorders.

8 Which are the common homeopathic remedies used to treat Speech Disorder?

Homeopathy is a modern science which believes in eliminating the disease condition from its root and medicines are prescribed on the characteristics of the individual rather than just the symptoms of the disease. Homeopathy treats patient and not merely the disease condition.

Homeopathic medicines are harmless and easy to administer and your child will take them happily. They are safe for infants, pregnant women, old people and small kids. When they are correctly prescribed, they do not produce any adverse reaction. Homeopathic medicines are well proved on humans and do not cause any drug dependency. Dosages are minute but very powerful. It energizes the immune system and improves body's natural endurance capacity.

Homeopathy has many remedies for this condition in its treasury. Few commonly effective homeopathic medicines which are very effective in speech disorder are Aconite, Belladona, Mercurius Solubulis, Cannabis sativa, Stramonium, Ignatia, Cuprum Metallicum, Causticum, Nux Vomica, Anacardium, Nux Moschata etc. NOTE- It is important to remember that self medication is harmful. Hence never indulge in self medication. Consult one of our expert doctors for advice.

9 How effective is Homeopathy in Speech Disorder cases?

Homeopathy is a natural science and provides holistic approach to heal a person. Homeopathy creates perfect harmony and equilibrium between mind, body and soul enlightening path towards TOTAL HEALTH.

Homeopathy helps in not only in improving Elocution skills of the child but also remove all constitutional defects causing the same. When properly prescribed in high risk cases in Speech Disorders it removes all pre dispositions towards Speech Disorders in later life. Orator skills, art of speaking, confidence, self esteem are all improved with Homeopathy.

Homeopathy, considers each patient unique; it approaches INDIVIDUALISTIC measures for each and every patient. It differentiates each patient on Rare, Peculiar, Unique, Characteristic symptoms. Hence children or adults with Speech Disorders are benefitted to a great extent with Homeopathy.With proper Homeopathic treatment under able guidance of doctors your child will soon gain confidence. He will be able to showcase his talent to world. Academic performances will be better. His frustration will decrease. He will start enjoying speaking in public. Homeopathy also helps in preventing the relapse of the condition in the safest and the most natural way. To get HOMEOPATHIC treatment from our expert doctors, Speech Disorders Homeopathic Treatment

10 What is the conventional treatment available for Speech disorder?

Very mild cases improve on themselves and usually do not need treatment. Conventional way of treatment does not have any specific medicine for treatment of Speech Disorders. Speech therapy is the focus of treatment. Exercises are planned for patients to increase strength of oral muscles and control breathing. Main focus is to aim for smooth and fluent speech. Psychotherapy (talk therapy) is also helpful in some cases. Hearing issues if present are addressed.

Medications may be used to treat physical causes like enlarged adenoids, vocal polyps, tumours etc. Since Speech Disorders may cause Depression, hence antidepressants and tranquilizers may be used in selected cases. In total loss of speech or in deafness & mutism, sign languages can be of great help in communication.

11 What the risks of having Speech Disorder?

Speech Disorder can happen to anyone. Following people are at higher risks of having speech disorder-

• If you have some member of your family or relative with Speech Disorder
• If you have impaired hearing capacity
• Children who were born premature
• Children who had low birth weight
• History or presence of conditions like brain tumour, traumatic brain injury, muscular dystrophy, autism, cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease and dementia, vocal cord, polyps, nodules, vocal cord paralysis, oral cancer, laryngeal carcinomas, cleft lip, cleft palate, stroke, tongue deformities, dental deformities etc.
• Children who have faced strenuous life situations