Written by Editorial Team
As a parent, it can be very upsetting and saddening to hear your little one stutter and struggle to complete a sentence. What might relax you is the knowledge that stuttering is quite common among the 2 to 5 year age groups. This is considered as a part of learning new words and using them in sentences. Stuttering may happen sporadically or it may happen continuously for weeks or months – but in most cases, your child will outgrow this on his own without any intervention. In most cases. Unfortunately, for some children, stuttering becomes a life-long condition.
Read on to understand more about stuttering and how to help your child cope.
If you observe that your child does not speak in a flow, and there are frequent interruptions, it may indicate stuttering. Stuttering is different from occasional stammering or stumbling of words that is quite common in toddlers.
If your child is really stuttering, you will notice that he repeats the same syllable or sound of a word repeatedly (“d-d-d-d-dance” or “dig dig dig digger”, prolongs one sound of word in high pitch (“tr-aaaaaaaaah-uck”) or struggles to get words out of his mouth. You will also notice vocal and facial tension. Your child might also look strained, with clenched fists, due to the tension in forming words correctly.
Most children start to stutter around their 2nd birthday as they begin to learn many new words and try making sentences. This is quite common amongst children in the age group of 2 to 5 years, when language development is at its peak. Most of these stuttering episodes are sporadic and quite natural. It might disappear in few weeks, months or years on its own.
However, look for the following signs to determine if stuttering will be serious problem for your child:
There are three kinds of stuttering:
We do not really know what causes stuttering. The general medical opinion is that some anomaly in the brain is meddling with the timing and the rhythm of your child’s speech. Some also say that stuttering is caused by your child’s difficulty in coordinating speech muscles due to some external stimuli. In any case, we have enough evidence to conclude that stuttering doesn’t indicate bad parenting or an underlying emotional problem. Stressful home environment can worsen stuttering, yes. But it cannot cause stuttering.
That said, certain factors place some children at a high probability of stuttering. These are:
If your child stutters only when he has some extreme feelings – like sadness, anger, discomfort or fright, then you can follow a wait-and-watch approach. You need not rush to the doctor yet as your child is more likely to outgrow this condition on his own. However, if the stuttering has not improved in 6 months, or has worsened, then get professional help. His doctor might suggest a therapist or specialist who will evaluate your child’s situation and determine if the stuttering is a normal part of growth or something to be worried about. Depending on this finding, the therapist might recommend you to take your child to a speech therapist.
While the child’s speech therapist works with your child at his clinic, there are plenty of things you can do at home (and plenty of things you should not do!) to help your child cope up with his stuttering:
If your child loses his “fear of stuttering”, then the job is half done! Always show patience, acceptance and encouragement. With positive attitude, your child can get over his stuttering.
Here is a list of some famous personalities who stutter but did not let that stop them from leading a successful life and career:
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