When you are talking to a person who stutters it is helpful if you think of
PATIENCE:
- P= PATIENCE: Patience, thoughtfulness, and respect are essential components of meaningful communication with anyone.
- A=ATTITUDES: People who stutter have different attitudes toward stuttering. Just like anything else, perceptions about stuttering vary within the stuttering community. Knowing this might enhance communication and aid in understanding a person who stutters’ individual beliefs about stuttering.
- T=TIME PRESSURE: Do not put time pressure either verbally (e.g. “I’m in a hurry”) or nonverbally (e.g. looking at your watch). Like all people, people who stutter communicate more effectively when they are afforded time to express their message.
- I=INSTRUCT: Do not instruct them to “slow down” or “just relax.” Although well-intended, those comments seldom help and can send the message that their way of communication is not accepted and is in some way “wrong.”
- E=EYE CONTACT: Maintain eye contact to demonstrate engagement, appreciation for the conversation, and an acknowledgment of the sharing of information.
- N=NORMAL: Just act as you normally would with any communication partner. Not passing judgment about people who stutter can help create the normalization of differences. Having compassion for differences and knowing that we are all different (even verbally) can go a long way toward building an environment of acceptance.
- C=COMPLETE: Do not finish their sentences for them. Completing sentences and thoughts for a person who stutters may indicate that a person who stutters’ message is not worth waiting for and that their communication space is not valued.
- E=EMPATHY AND LISTENING: Engage in active listening-this is pure GOLD- ultimately you are paying attention to the content of what they are saying and not the stuttering itself. People who stutter are more than just stuttering, just like anyone else is more than any single aspect of themselves.