Do you have the same stutter as Shen Gongbao? The doctor teaches you how to speak smoothly from "stuttering"

The domestic animated film "Nezha: The Devil Boy Conquers the Dragon King" has been well received by the audience since its release. Recently, the topic #Jiaozi responds to why Shen Gongbao is a stutterer# has become a hot search. In the movie, Shen Gongbao contributed many laughs because of his "stuttering". Not only is he not annoying, but the audience finds him a little cute.

The official response of "Nezha 2" said that Shen Gongbao stuttered because he was frustrated and lacked confidence, which also brought the easily overlooked language barrier problem of "stuttering" to the public's attention.

"Stuttering" is not a strange term

Stuttering is a common speech fluency disorder. The main characteristics of stuttering are difficulties in pronunciation repetition, extension and pause, which may or may not be accompanied by tension in the limbs and/or facial muscles and abnormal movements. According to statistics, based on the estimated 1% stuttering prevalence worldwide, there are about 13 million stuttering patients in China. The incidence of stuttering in preschool children in my country is 3%-5%, usually occurring between 2 and 5 years old, and some continue into adulthood.

Stuttering ≠ Funny

Huang Minsheng, chief physician of the rehabilitation department of Tonglu Hospital, a hospital in Hangzhou, said that stuttering is not an intellectual problem or a character defect, but a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that may be related to genetics, neurobiological factors or physiological diseases, environmental factors, psychological factors, etc. Stuttering does not directly harm health, but the communication barriers and inferiority complex caused by stuttering will have a great negative impact on people's work and life. In real life, stuttering patients often face greater pressure and distress than Shen Gongbao, mainly manifested as social phobia, fear of communicating with others, worry about being ridiculed and discriminated against, and gradually become withdrawn and inferior; learning disabilities, dare not speak in class, affecting learning efficiency and self-confidence; career development is limited, some professions require high language expression skills, and stutterers may miss opportunities because of this.

What can we do about stuttering?

Studies have shown that stuttering patients are no different from ordinary people in terms of language content generation. The main obstacle occurs in the speech output encoding stage, that is, the link of turning the words in the mind into words spoken. It is recommended to adopt the communication principle of "maintaining eye contact - giving sufficient time - naturally taking over the topic". First, create a relaxed atmosphere: when communicating with stuttering patients, be patient and respectful, avoid interrupting or urging, and create a relaxed and pleasant communication atmosphere; secondly, slow down your speech speed, listen patiently, slow down your own speech speed when communicating, give stuttering patients enough time to organize their language, listen carefully and give positive responses. At the same time, encourage rather than correct, do not pay too much attention to the speech fluency of stuttering patients, and do not imitate or laugh at them. They should be encouraged to express themselves confidently and affirm their efforts and progress.

Practical rehabilitation training methods to improve stuttering

Huang Minsheng pointed out that there is currently no universal cure for stuttering. Clinical treatment mainly consists of speech therapy plus psychological counseling. Through scientific treatment and training, the speech fluency of stuttering patients can be significantly improved, and their communication skills can be enhanced.

First of all, oral movement training can be carried out to strengthen oral muscles and improve oral flexibility, which is the key to improving stuttering. Through a series of simple and easy oral exercises, such as opening and closing the mouth, and sticking out the tongue, the training effect can be achieved.

Secondly, basic speech training can slow down the speed of speech, practice reading aloud at a "tortoise speed" (for example, one word per second), consciously slow down the speed of speech, especially in places where stuttering is easy, slow down the speed of speech word by word, and ensure that each word is clear. Try to start the sound softly, and make the first sound softly when speaking, and avoid excessive force, such as "um... hello" or "uh... I want to say". Reduce tension when pronouncing and avoid stuttering. Keep speaking rhythmically, and tap your thighs while speaking to keep the rhythm (for children, clapping games are more suitable); you can also use a metronome to read or talk at a fixed beat.

Perform breathing training. Abdominal breathing exercises are recommended. When lying flat, place your hands on your abdomen. When inhaling, your abdomen will bulge. When exhaling, exhale slowly and make an "s" sound. Extend the exhalation time to more than 15 seconds. Breathe in phrases, split long sentences into short phrases, and actively breathe after each paragraph. For example: "The weather is very good today (breathe), let's go to the park together (breathe)" etc.

It is best to read aloud articles, poems or books every day, focusing on fluency. Start with simple short articles and gradually increase the difficulty. At the same time, you can listen back to the recording, analyze the problems and make improvements. Self-talk practice: Talk to yourself when you are alone, simulate daily communication, or talk to the mirror like the confident and beautiful "Shiji Niangniang", observe your expression and mouth shape. Imitate fluent speakers: Watch speech videos or listen to recordings, imitate people who speak fluently, learn their speed and intonation, and learn the skills of fluent expression.

Children can use the slow version of the word chain game in a game-based training method, and play the word chain game at twice the speed, such as "apple → jam → soy sauce" (when parents demonstrate, the first word can be appropriately lengthened). You can also try picture book role-playing, using puppets to simulate stuttering situations, such as when the little bear stutters, guide the child to teach it to "speak slowly."

At the same time, the following three mistakes should be avoided: constantly correcting the child's pronunciation, simply saying "don't be nervous, relax", and answering questions for the child. Huang Minsheng said, "If a child is found to have signs of stuttering, the earlier the intervention, the better the effect, and it is best to go to a regular hospital in time to seek professional help. The progress of adult training does not mean achieving complete fluency, 'reducing avoidance and expressing confidently' is more important!"