What Is Stuttering?

Many young kids go through a stage between the ages of 2 and 5 when they stutter.This might make them:
orepeat certain syllables, words, or phrases
oprolong them
ostop, making no sound for certain sounds and syllables

Stuttering is a form of dysfluency (dis-FLOO-en-see), aninterruption in the flow of speech.

In many cases, stuttering goes away on its own by age 5. In some kids, it goeson for longer. Effective treatments are available to help a child overcome it.

What Causes Stuttering?

Doctors and scientists aren't completely sure why some kids stutter. But most believethat a few things contribute to it, such as a problem with the way the brain's messagesinteract with the muscles and body parts needed for speaking.

Many believe that stuttering may be genetic. Kids who stutter are three times morelikely to have a close family member who also stutters, or did.

What Are the Signs of Stuttering?

The first signs of stuttering tend to appear when a child is about 18–24months old. At this age, there's a burst in vocabulary and kids are starting to putwords together to form sentences. To parents, the stuttering may be upsetting andfrustrating, but it is natural for kids to do some stuttering at this stage. Be aspatient with your child as possible.

A child may stutter for a few weeks or several months, and the stuttering may comeand go. Most kids who begin stuttering before the age of 5 stop without any need forhelp such as speech or language therapy.

But if your child's stuttering happens a lot, gets worse, or happens along withbody or facial movements, seeing a speech-languagetherapist around age 3 is a good idea.

Usually, stuttering lets up when kids enter elementary school and start sharpeningtheir communication skills. A school-age child who continues to stutter is likelyaware of the problem and may be embarrassed by it. Classmates and friends may drawattention to it or even tease the child.

If this happens with your child, talk to the teacher,who can address this in the classroom with the kids. The teacher also might decreasethe number of stressful speaking situations for your child until speech therapy begins.

When to Get Help

If your child is 5 years old and still stuttering, talk to your doctor or a speech-languagetherapist. Check with a speech therapist if your child:
otries to avoid situations that require talking
ochanges a word for fear of stuttering
ohas facial or body movements along with the stuttering
orepeats whole words and phrases often and consistently
orepeats sounds and syllables more often
ohas speech that sounds very strained

Also talk to the therapist if:
oyou notice increased facial tension or tightness in your child's speech muscles
oyou notice vocal tension that causes rising pitch or loudness
oyou have other concerns about your child's speech

Most schools will offer testing and appropriate therapy if stuttering lasts for6 months or more.

How Can Parents Help?

Try these steps to help your child:
oDon't require your child to speak precisely or correctly at all times. Allow talkingto be fun and enjoyable.
oUse family meals as a conversation time. Avoid distractions such as radio or TV.
oAvoid corrections or criticisms such as "slow down," "take your time," or "takea deep breath." These comments, however well-intentioned, will only make your childfeel more self-conscious.
oAvoid having your child speak or read aloud when uncomfortable or when the stutteringincreases. Instead, during these times encourage activities that do not require alot of talking.
oDon't interrupt your child or tell him or her to start over.
oDon't tell your child to think before speaking.
oProvide a calm atmosphere in the home. Try to slow down the pace of family life.
oSpeak slowly and clearly when talking to your child or others in his or her presence.
oMaintain eye contact with your child. Try not to look away or show signs of beingupset.
oLet your child speak for himself or herself and to finish thoughts and sentences.Pause before responding to your child's questions or comments.
oTalk slowly to your child. This takes practice! Modeling a slow rate of speechwill help with your child's fluency.
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