Toddler Stutter - 7 Things Nobody Tells You

In This Article

• We All Go Through NORMAL Periods of Stutterin g
• How Do I Know the Difference Between Normal Stuttering and Not Normal Stuttering?
• Causes of Stuttering
• When Should I Contact A Speech Therapist?
• What Kind of Help is Available?
• Activities to Encourage Fluency

Disfluency, also called stuttering, involves abnormal:

Children and adults who have a stuttering disorder may also have facial and body movements that are paired with their difficulty in trying to speak. This may be as small as looking away from the speaker at random moments or very extreme like smacking their legs or jerking a body part. 

We All Go Through NORMAL Periods of Stuttering

Even from a very young age, we go through periods of normal stuttering. Children often enter this period of disfluency around Preschool age. Adults may interject syllables like “um,” “ah,” and “er” while talking and occasionally repeat sounds, words or phrases. Children will grow and develop over time where these periods of disfluency will disappear.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsaIk1BaWSM

Take a look at some normal repetitions that children use when they are trying to speak.

How Do I Know the Difference Between Normal Stuttering and Not Normal Stuttering?

Stuttering typically begins between 2-5 years old and boys will stutter more often than girls (Healthtouch 2000). 

A child with normal disfluencies may demonstrate the following behaviors: 

A child may be at risk for developing stuttering if they exhibit the following behaviors:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiBVt54aeeI

1 in 4 children will have a stutter pattern as their language development. That doesn't mean that it is best to ignore it, since addressing the problem can help resolve it.

Causes of Stuttering

I wish I could tell you that we knew EXACTLY what causes stuttering, but we don’t. It is one of the most poorly understood disorders in the area of speech and language. Doctors do not agree one any single cause and even agree that it may be several different factors that cause stuttering to occur. Possible theories of what causes stuttering include:

When Should I Contact A Speech Therapist?

As a parent, we are always actively listening to our children and wondering is that normal? Why is he doing that? Is there something wrong? TRUST. YOUR. GUT!

If you feel like your child is having difficulty with speech, make sure you are listening to them interact with different people in their environment.

Does he talk differently to his peers compared to his teacher? Does your child stutter when they seem to be under a lot of stress?

After a while, you should be able to tell if there is a consistent pattern of disfluency. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your school’s Child Study Team or look into getting an independent evaluation. Treating problems early  may prevent a child from falling behind socially and academically (ASHA, 2006).

What Kind of Help is Available?

The first person you can reach out to is a Speech-Language Pathologist. This person should be accredited with the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA), as well as their respective state. They will hold a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) and will have either a Master’s or Doctorate degree. 

Speech Blubs App also has great information, strategies and activities that you can start to implement at home until you find professional help! 

Activities to Encourage Fluency

As always, please feel free to reach out to me if you have more concerns or questions regarding your childs’ speech patterns. Download Speech Blubs App and check their activities to help your child overcome stuttering!

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