stuttering

What is stuttering?

Stuttering (also called dysfluency) is a difficulty with the ‘flow’ or fluency of speech. Children who stutter know what they want to say but may have trouble getting the words out. This might sound like repeating parts of words (e.g. “I-I-I can do it”), stretching out sounds (e.g. “ssssister”), or getting stuck when starting a word.

Stuttering can come and go, and may be more noticeable when a child is excited, tired, or under pressure to speak. It’s different from speech sound difficulties or a language delay; children who stutter typically understand language and form sentences at the expected level for their age.

Even with modern science the exact cause of stuttering is unknown, however family history can sometimes indicate a higher chance of developing a stutter. Stuttering is not caused by parenting, intelligence, or anxiety—but stress or anxiety can make stuttering more noticeable.

How is stuttering diagnosed?

A Speech Pathologist can assess stuttering by spending time talking and playing with your child, and listening to how they speak in different situations. They will identify how often stuttering occurs, the types of stuttering present (such as repeating words or prolonging sounds), how it impacts your child’s overall ability to communicate, and whether the stutter impacts how willing your child is to speak.

The Speech Pathologist will also ask questions about family history and will try to obtain more information about the stutter such as when it began, and whether or not it has changed over time. This information will help the clinician to understand exactly how stuttering is affecting your child so that they can provide personalised recommendations.

Stuttering usually begins between 2 and 6 years of age. Many children go through a period of stuttering that lasts around 6 months. While there is a chance the stuttering may resolve on its own, it is impossible to predict whether this will occur or not. It is best to visit a Speech Pathologist as early as possible to gain the opinion of a trained clinician, with research showing better outcomes from early intervention.

Make an Appointment with a Speech Pathologist

Treatment

Stuttering treatment for young children builds confidence, helps them speak fluently, and often involves play-based home practice with parental involvement. Typically, children will attend therapy once a week and practise fun ‘talking activities’ at home daily with their parents/carers. Parents/Carers are taught to give helpful feedback and track the stuttering severity.

There are a range of benefits from engaging in Speech Pathology support for stuttering, including:

Improving your child’s self-confidence when speaking
Improving your child’s ability to be understood
Improving your child’s ability to engage in positive social interactions
Reducing frustration for children having trouble getting a message across

What should you do if you're concerned about your child?

If you are concerned about your child’s talking and have noticed stuttering behaviours, it’s a good idea to book an appointment with a Speech Pathologist.

At your first visit our clinician will conduct a thorough and holistic assessment, provide personalised strategies and discuss whether or not ongoing therapy is recommended.

Targeted strategies will be provided during this appointment.

Tips to maximise your child’s communication at home:

Try to create a relaxed communication environment
Be patient and give your child enough time to finish what they are saying – don’t interrupt and complete the sentence for them
Don’t ask your child to slow down when they are speaking
Don’t react negatively to your child’s stutter - ignore it if possible (unless your child becomes distressed by their stuttering)
If your child becomes distressed by their stuttering, move to their eye level so that they know you are listening to them and try to reduce the length of their sentences by asking them questions which only require a short answer (e.g. “Are you talking about what you did at the park?”)