While direct therapy with the child will be conducted by the therapist, the family has a vital role in helping the child gain the new skills, habits and attitudes:

1. Talk about it openly, so that your child feels comfortable about this issue. Try not to be upset or annoyed when stuttering increases. Your child is doing her best as she copes with learning many new skills all at the same time.Your patient, accepting attitude will help her.

2. When you and others talk to her, talk in a slow, relaxed fashion.

• Use small, simple sentences. Speak slowly and clearly.
• Give a gap of a few seconds before you answer her questions
• Let there be small silent gaps between your sentences when you talk to her
• Never interrupt her when she is saying something; let her finish, wait for 2 seconds and then ask your question.
• Don't ask too many questions.
• Never force her to say or talk when she does not want to: never force her to recite poems for a guest; if she does it on her own, welcome it; praise her. But never force her.
• Never interrupt her to say: Slow down; First think what you want to say; Take a deep breath, etc. These suggestions don't help. These only make a child feel bad and ashamed.
• If you don't understand what she says, say- 'Sorry, what did you say?' But don't react negatively, either in words or through facial expression and body language
• Encourage her to talk in a louder voice.
• Slow and relaxed speech can be the most effective when combined with some time each day for the child to have one parent's undivided attention. Set aside a few minutes at a regular time when you are doing nothing else but listening to your child talk about whatever is on her mind.
• Increase the situations in which your child is most fluent. If your child is more fluent during bedtime stories, extend this time by reading one more book at bedtime or provide other reading opportunities throughout the day. Success in one situation builds confidence and leads to success in more situations.
• Do not encourage your child to use 'tricks', such as substituting words or tapping a foot, to help her or him get through a moment of stuttering. These tricks do not really help and eventually become part of the stuttering pattern. In the long run, they can make the stuttering more conspicuous.
• Do not let teasing from siblings or friends go unrecognized. Take siblings/friends out of sight and sound of the dysfluent child and talk to them.

3. Every child excels at something or the other; Find out and praise her or his achievements in those fields. Help him to develop a strong and positive self image, but remember to keep the praise realistic and objective.

4. To help the child gain confidence, encourage her to excel at some hobby: painting, sketching, singing, playing some musical instrument, outdoor games, drama, etc.

5. An intelligent mind helps a PWS greatly by helping him to understand what is happening inside and outside; it helps him to acquire and master those small psychological / language skills which facilitate communication in spite of stammering. So, pay attention to his intellectual development.

6. Talk to his teachers (or principal) and explain to them that they must not give any negative comments to the child. That they must ensure that she is not bullied / harassed in the class room by other children. If some children do that, explain to them that the child is doing her best not to
stammer, and that their mocking only makes the situation worse.

7. In the home, try to create an open atmosphere where the child can freely talk about his difficulty with talking. If you or other family members show your distress, pain or irritation
when he stammers, the child will develop feelings of shame which might affect his personality.