Parents should take time to get to know their school SLP and begin early to advocate for their elementary school child in an effective and supportive manner. I also recommend that parents learn all they can about stuttering. When parents are well-educated consumers, they are better equipped to effectively advocate for their children. Approach the SLP with the information you have and ask what s/he thinks. Explain that you want to know what treatments are available for your child. Offer to help get information if s/he needs it and make it known that you want to work as a team.

Parents also need to learn about their child’s stuttering. Children’s level of awareness and concerns about speaking and stuttering can change over time. This occurs due to maturity, experiences and perceptions. It’s okay to talk about stuttering, fears and concerns. It’s important to know what concerns a child may have about going to middle school, especially in regards to communicating.

Usually, there is an annual IEP review at the end of the school year to review the child’s progress and to make recommendations for the next year. It would be helpful to have the elementary SLP and classroom teacher and the middle school SLP and teachers at the meeting. Sometimes this is a challenge, but it is ideal. Navigating the transition can be tricky since there will be six to eight weeks of break in the summer during which time the motor speech aspects of a child’s stuttering may change along with possible changes in attitudes and emotions. Therefore, a second transition meeting is recommended prior to or just after the start of middle school.

Ideally, the elementary and middle school SLPs should be there along with the parent. Perhaps an informal meeting could be scheduled as a parent-teacher conference, rather than a formal IEP meeting if this is easier. The student might attend, depending on their developmental maturity. A discussion of the child’s summer in regards to stuttering, attitudes about communicating, and significant experiences could be addressed. In addition, goals would be addressed as well as the child’s concerns about communication in the coming year.

The transition from middle school to high school is going to be very different than the previous one. Students are more mature and have a desire for more independence. Some teens continue to receive speech therapy services in school, others opt for private services and still others opt to discontinue therapy. Teens should be actively involved in decisions about therapy and goals. Parents can encourage and advise at this stage but the teen’s choices should be respected.

For the transition to high school, parents can request a meeting with their teen and the SLP to make the initial introduction as the school year begins. This does not have to be a formal IEP meeting but could be more like a student-teacher conference. During this meeting, the previous years’ speech therapy goals will probably be reviewed, but the meeting should also involve discussion about the student’s interests and activities as well as his or her concerns about stuttering and/or communicating in general. The meeting might also include a review of IEP goals and discussion about how well they match the student’s goals.

Submitted by Karen Kumar, CCC-SLP