Stuttering in childhood

As your child becomes more verbal, it’s common for them to stumble over their words. When you hear this occur for the first time, it’s understandable that this can raise some concerns that your child may be stuttering. While some stutters (also known as disfluencies) are a typical part of learning to speak, it’s natural for you to wonder when they should start worrying and when to seek professional help.

At some point in early development, around ages 2 ½ to 5, about 5% of all children will experience stuttering in their speech, such as repeating words or phrases. For most, these stutters come and go and do not make up a lot of a child’s talking and is typically a normal part of language development as they learn new words and more complex language rules.

But how can you tell the difference between a phase and a possible stuttering issue?

This article will help you understand what’s typical for toddlers, the signs of stuttering, and when it’s time to seek professional support. Acting sooner is critical in helping children overcome persistent stuttering, but knowing when to act is key.

Understanding Stuttering in Toddlers

What is Stuttering?

Stuttering occurs when a child has difficulty getting words out smoothly; it’s a disruption to the rhythm of their speech. Your child knows exactly what they wish to say. However, for a moment, they cannot say it, due to an involuntary repetition, prolongation or cessation of sound. It may also be called stammering or disfluency. Some examples of a stutter are:

• Repetition of a phrase “I want I want I want my red shoes”
• Repetition of a word “that that that’s my turn”
• Repetition of a sound or part word “I g-g-g-got a bike for my birthday”
• A block, where no word or sound comes out, with possible physical signs, groping, open mouth, like blinking, tense lips etc.

Is Stuttering Normal in Toddlers?

It’s important to know that disfluencies, or breaks in the flow of speech, are a typical part of early speech development. In fact, about 5% of children will go through a period where they stutter, but for most, these disfluencies are temporary. It’s common for children to fluctuate between fluent speech and disfluencies, particularly when they’re excited, tired, or rushing to speak.

Why Does Stuttering Happen?

There isn’t just one cause of stuttering, nor a definitive cause such as a medical syndrome or physical accident. A few possible factors that could contribute to stuttering include:

• Family history: Many children who stutter have a close family member who also stuttered or still stutters.
• Brain differences: Some research suggests that people who stutter may have subtle differences in how their brain functions when they speak.

While it’s hard to predict which children will continue to stutter, there are a few risk factors that might increase the chances:

• Age of onset: If a child begins stuttering after age 3½, they are more likely to have persistent stuttering.
• Gender: Boys are more likely to keep stuttering compared to girls.
• Family recovery patterns: If a family member continued to stutter as they grew older, the child may be more likely to do the same.

See more information about stuttering over in our new article here