When is stuttering a concern?

Your child should be evaluated by a speech-language pathologist who specializes in stuttering if: You have a concern about your child’s speech. You notice tension, facial grimaces, or struggle behaviors during talking. Your child avoids situations in which he or she will have to talk.

Can stuttering happen suddenly?

A sudden stutter can be caused by a number of things: brain trauma, epilepsy, drug abuse (particularly heroin), chronic depression or even attempted suicide using barbiturates, according to the National Institutes of Health.

What are the danger signs of stuttering?

Stuttering signs and symptoms may include:

Difficulty starting a word, phrase or sentence.
Prolonging a word or sounds within a word.
Repetition of a sound, syllable or word.
Brief silence for certain syllables or words, or pauses within a word (broken word)

When should I be concerned about my child stuttering?

But there are signs to look for that show stuttering may be a problem: You may notice tension and a struggle with facial muscles. You may also notice the voice rising in pitch with repetitions. In more severe cases of stuttering, your child may show considerable effort and tension in trying to speak.

What triggers stuttering?

Researchers currently believe that stuttering is caused by a combination of factors, including genetics, language development, environment, as well as brain structure and function[1]. Working together, these factors can influence the speech of a person who stutters.

Why do people with stuttering have a hard time speaking?

The speech difficulties of stuttering may be accompanied by: Stuttering may be worse when the person is excited, tired or under stress, or when feeling self-conscious, hurried or pressured. Situations such as speaking in front of a group or talking on the phone can be particularly difficult for people who stutter.

How old does a child have to be to stop stuttering?

It’s common for children between the ages of 2 and 5 years to go through periods when they may stutter. For most children, this is part of learning to speak, and it gets better on its own. However, stuttering that persists may require treatment to improve speech fluency.

What can be done to help people with stuttering?

This type of stuttering can have an impact on self-esteem and interactions with other people. Children and adults who stutter may benefit from treatments such as speech therapy, using electronic devices to improve speech fluency or cognitive behavioral therapy.

What are some of the side effects of stuttering?

Stuttering can lead to: Problems communicating with others. Being anxious about speaking. Not speaking or avoiding situations that require speaking. Loss of social, school, or work participation and success. Being bullied or teased. Low self-esteem.

When to be concerned about your child’s stuttering?

Family history of stuttering. Age at onset (if your child began stuttering after age 3 ½ years) Time since onset (if you child has stuttered for longer than 1 year) Gender (males are 3 to 4 times more likely than females to persist in stuttering)

Is it hard to talk to people when you stutter?

Talking to people can be hard if you stutter. You may get stuck on certain words or sounds. You may feel tense or uncomfortable. You might change words to avoid stuttering. Speech-language pathologists, or SLPs, can help.

Is the only constant with stuttering is its variability?

A common saying is, “The only constant with stuttering is its variability.” While there is actually some overlap between a young child who is stuttering and one that is passing through the developmental disfluency period, there are clearly very discernible differences.

When is stuttering a concern?