Supporting Your Child’s Speech: Indirect Treatment for Early Childhood Stuttering

If your young child is showing signs of stuttering, you may wonder what the best way to help them is. The good news? Many children naturally grow out of stuttering, and for those who need extra support, indirect treatment can be highly effective and is often a strategy used in speech therapy sessions for young children who stutter.

What Is Indirect Treatment?

Rather than directly asking children to change how they speak, indirect treatment focuses on creating a supportive environment that encourages fluent speech. This means:

• Adjusting how you communicate with your child
• Reducing pressure around talking
• Encouraging confidence and ease in speech

One well-known approach that uses indirect treatment is the Palin Parent-Child Interaction (PCI) therapy.

The Palin Parent-Child Interaction (PCI) Approach

PCI is a family-centered therapy designed to empower parents with tools to support their child’s fluency in natural, everyday conversations. It was developed at the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering in London and is based on research showing that small changes in parent-child interactions can make a big difference in a child's speech.

Key Principles of PCI

• Parents are the best supporters – You know your child best!
• No blame, no pressure – Stuttering is no one’s fault, and children should never feel pressured to "fix" their speech.
• Every child is different – Strategies are tailored to fit your child's unique communication style.

Simple Strategies to Try at Home

Here are some easy ways to support your child’s speech using PCI principles:

• Slow Down – Speak at a relaxed pace with pauses to give your child time to process and respond.
• Use More Pauses – Instead of rushing to respond, take a moment before you speak.
• Maintain Eye Contact – Show your child you’re engaged and listening, even if they stutter.
• Follow Their Lead – Talk about what interests them instead of asking too many questions.
• Praise Communication, Not Fluency – Say things like, “I love hearing your ideas!” instead of focusing on how they say it.
• Create a Calm Talking Environment – Reduce background noise and distractions to make conversations easier.

When to Seek Professional Help

Many young children go through a phase of normal disfluency, but if stuttering persists for more than 6 months, increases in frequency, causes frustration, or if you need more support, a speech therapy evaluation is a great place to start.