What is Stuttering?
You’ve probably experienced a time when you’ve not spoken as smoothly or clearly as you would have liked. You might fumble on your sentences or add filler words like “uh” or “like”. These are called disfluencies.
People who stutter experience more disfluencies of different types that disrupt the normal rhythm and flow of their speech. Often, people who stutter know exactly what they want to say but have a hard time expressing themselves. This can lead to stuttering being associated with negative emotions and feelings, which could continue to impact their confidence and self-esteem.
Everyone stutters differently and how much they stutter can change depending on the environment or their emotions. It can also change from day to day, or even during different times of day.
Stuttering may also be known by other names like:
- Stammering.
- Disfluent speech.
- Childhood-onset fluency disorder.
What Causes Stuttering in Children?
There is no known cause, but research has shown that it’s likely due to a combination of multiple different factors, including:
- Family History of Stuttering.
Many people who stutter are likely to have other family members who also stutter. - Differences in Brain Structure.
There may be differences in the way people who stutter’s brains work during speech production, specifically the regions that coordinate and control the muscles responsible for speaking. - Gender
Boys are more likely to stutter than girls.
Other factors that can affect stuttering (but do not cause it) include:
- The Child’s Speech and Language Development.
If a child’s speech and language capabilities are still developing, it is normal for them to not be able to produce smooth speech. - Environment
A child’s stuttering may worsen if they are competing with someone else, being interrupted, or in a noisy environment. - Heightened Emotional Stress.
A child’s stuttering might worsen if they’re in a heightened emotional state, such feeling stressed or excited.
When Does Stuttering Start in Children?
For most, stuttering starts in childhood around the ages of two to four years. This is the age at which they are starting to acquire more speech and language skills.
Every child’s stutter is different, and so is they way that your child may start stuttering. Some children suddenly develop a stutter overnight, whereas others might gradually develop one over time.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Stuttering?
Signs and symptoms can change significantly throughout the day, but they’re generally worse during stressful situations like talking to a group. It’s also normal for stuttering to temporarily reduce while singing, reading, or speaking in unison.
Some signs include:
- Finding it difficult to start talking.
- Repeating a sound, syllable or whole word (e.g. “I w-w-want to eat”).
- Stretching and drawing out a word or sounds in words (e.g. “Ssssally is kind”).
- Pausing between words or within a word, where airflow is physically stopped at some point (e.g. “I want a [pause] cookie”).
- Adding extra words like “um” and “like” if they are expecting to have difficulty with producing the next word.
- Avoiding the use of certain words or speech sounds they know they will have difficulty with.
- Feeling emotions such as anxiety towards talking.
Sometimes people who stutter may also have associated actions like:
- Unusual facial movements (sometimes called facial tics).
- Rapid eye blinks or loss of eye contact.
- Head nodding.
- Trembling of the lips or jaw.
- Associated body movements (e.g. tightening of fists).
How is Stuttering Diagnosed?
Stuttering is usually diagnosed by a speech pathologist (also known as a speech language pathologist or speech therapist), who is trained to assess and treat individuals with voice, speech and language disorders.
A speech pathologist will analyse your child’s stuttering by asking questions about your child’s history, such as how long they have had a stutter and when it started. They may also collect a sample of their language to find out what kind of stuttering your child presents with the most.
Sometimes they may also assess your child’s speech and language capabilities, to see whether these might have a role to play. This is because many children stutter during a period when they are still acquiring speech and language skills.
Depending on how your child presents, they may also consider the impact that your child’s stuttering may have on their life.
How to Treat Stuttering in Children.
There is currently no cure for stuttering, but there are a variety of treatments available that help people to reduce stuttering in their speech and speak more smoothly. Many therapies focus on teaching new ways of speaking that minimise stuttering through strategies like speaking slowly and coordinating their breath with their speech.
Many of these therapies also include a component that helps to address possible anxiety the person may feel in certain speaking situations. Children may benefit from attending speech therapy to address how stuttering affects their own speech.
It is helpful to seek professional help and early treatment to avoid the child become aware or self-conscious of their stuttering. Some children will begin to try different ways to avoid stuttering or change how they form sentences.
Treatment focuses will differ depending on your child’s age, communication goals, and other factor. If you or your child stutters, it is important to work with a speech pathologist to determine the best treatment options.
How can I Help my Child who Stutters?
Some things you can do are:
- Keep a relaxed and calm home environment that allows many opportunities for your child to speak (e.g. setting aside time to talk to one another, especially if your child is excited and has a lot to say).
- Listen attentively by focusing on the content of the message, rather than responding to how it was said or interrupting your child.
- Speak in a slightly slowed and relaxed manner to help reduce any time pressure.
- Wait for your child to finish their own sentences when they are stuttering instead of finishing their sentence or giving them advice while they are speaking. This is important to help your child learn that they can still successfully communicate when stuttering occurs.
Do not punish them for stuttering. This can have the opposite effect and lead to more feelings of anxiety towards talking.
When Should I Speak With a Speech Pathologist?
For most children between the ages of two and five, stuttering is a normal part of the process of learning to speak and will naturally resolve on its own. However, stuttering that continues past five years of age may require help from a speech pathologist to improve the rhythm and flow of their speech.
You should see a speech pathologist their stuttering:
- Lasts six to twelve months or longer.
- Started later than three and a half years of age.
- Occurs along with other speech or language difficulties.
- You notice your child starts to tense up or seems to physically struggle when talking.
- Affects their ability to communicate at school or in social situations.
- Causes them to start to feel anxiety or embarrassment about their talking e.g. fear of participating in class activities.
What are the Long-Term Effects of Stuttering if Left Untreated?
Long-term effects can be influenced by factors like:
- How often your child stutters.
- What type of stutter they present.
- Whether their attitudes and feelings towards their stutter are positive or negative.
For many children, increased self-awareness and consciousness about their speech could lead to more instances of feeling fear, embarrassment and anxiety towards situations that require them to speak. Stuttering could also impact and limit their participation in social interactions at school, and their ability to make requests or complete tasks like speaking on the phone.