Stuttering, or stammering, is a speech disorder that disrupts the flow of speech.

In order to treat complex stuttering issues in children, The Stuttering Foundation, a non-profit organization helping those who stutter, donated a DVD titled “Kids who Stutter: Parents speak” to about 13,329 public libraries across the nation.

According to a release by the foundation, the DVD contains the opinions of speech therapists and parents concerning how to effectively help children with the condition.

Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation, said there are several contributing factors that cause stuttering among children, including genetic, an issue with the nervous system, setting unreasonable expectations on the child and family dynamic.

Fraser said speech and language mechanisms differ in every child. Children with complications with their nervous system process language differently than those who do not stutter.

“These individuals are operating under a slightly different process,” Fraser said.

Parents can also set unrealistic expectations on their children, causing the child to start stuttering.  Families living a fast paced lifestyle could prompt a child to adopt stuttering in their speech.  Improving personal interaction with a child can have a positive impact on their speech development, Fraser said. Simply talking face-to-face for five minutes without distraction and consistently making an effort to help the child overcome stuttering will aid in their development.

According to a release by the foundation, it is federal law that any child who stutters is able to receive free speech therapy.  She said by providing the DVD’s to public libraries, the foundation is able to help families with children who stutter.

“It’s a good tool for parents to have,” Fraser said.

Megan Nix Miller, library assistant at Margaret Reed Crosby Memorial Library, said that while the library doesn’t currently have a copy of the DVD, they have reached out to the foundation and expect to receive a copy along with a few books very soon. Miller said the library currently has several books about childhood speech and language development.