Tip for – Speech Impediments

TIPS DEPENDING ON THE DISABILITY

Speech Impediments

Create a supportive environment, use non-verbal communication, and provide options for participants to use hand signals or clapping.

Example: Tiger Woods is the most famous golfer of all time but severely struggled with a stutter as a child. He used to sit at the back of the classroom and never speak.

After years of classes and practicing talking to his dog until it fell asleep, Tiger’s hard work paid off and he overcame his condition and became fully confident in his ability to speak. But, if Tiger Woods had been in a team sport where coaches asked him questions in front of a team, he may have quit and never become an athlete.

How to help: It can be embarrassing for people with speech impediments to express themselves in front of their peers. Understanding this might mean that if somebody is confused about the training, they might be too scared to ask questions, due to the reaction of the coach and teammates.

Creating a supportive environment is one of the best ways to let people feel comfortable and will improve their enjoyment and engagement with playing sport.

Another way to help can be by increasing the use of non-verbal communication.

Look for opportunities to provide the participant with options to use nonverbal communication where needed. This could include them pointing to where they need to go, using hand signals, raising their hand and even the use of clapping to draw attention to themselves if they cannot speak. Communication Boards could also help in this scenario.