Stuttering???

Question

I have a 3 yr old daughter, and she stutters. Ive heard that as long as its not 3 or 4 words in a sentence then shes fine. At times she seems like shes doing it just for show, but sometimes it really seems like shes struggling. She will go to headstart in Sept. and i dont want kids making fun of her. is this normal? or an actual problem?

Answer 1

This is normal, my son did it for a while. I would have to encourage him to slow down when he was talking and try to focus on one word at a time. it was challenging at times but he grew out of it. He is almost 5 now and doesnt stutter at all.If she doesn't grow out of it than bring it up with her doctor. She should be fine though. Let them know when she starts if she is still having problems with it an they should help her overcome it.

My son is also asthmatic and I was thinking it may of had something to do with it. Lack of oxygen to the brain.

Answer 2

I think it's normal.My 4 year old daughter just started speaking at 3, now she doesn't shut up! LOL She stuttered for 3 years, and eventually grew out of it. HeadStart will work with her to make her pronounce words right. I worked in a head start as a teaching assistant, and it's a good program for youngsters! The kids won't make fun of her, some kids may even have the same problem as her! Explain your uncomfortableness to the teachers. There are also other programs, like EArly Intervention where they run tests to see how your child is doing, and then place them in O.T., or something like that to help your child develop. They come to your house and work in your home so you all feel comfortable. They also work with you on helping your child work the steps when the teacher isn't there.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Some stuttering is normal, especially if they are just learning to really put sentences together. Other stuttering can be prolonged into adulthood. Contact your local school district and ask to have your daughter's speech evaluated. They will evaluate her stuttering and determine if it is a type to be concerned about. This evaluation is free. You can also pick up a copy of this book for parents of children with speech/language issues: Childhood Speech, Language and Listening Problems- What Every Parent Should Know, by Patricia McAleer Hamaguchi (who is a certified
SLP). It has awesome information for parents about speech and language disorders/delays. According to the author, children with stuttering problems have the following characteristics:
-repeat the initial sound in a word, or first word in the sentence
-appear as if they are "stuck" or are ready to say something but it won't come out'
-rush the rest of the sentence once they get the initial sound/word out
-show frustration by blinking, stamping their feet, clenching their fists, etc.

Stuttering tends to start gradually, as a child is learning to talk. Sometimes it goes away as a child matures, but a child whose stuttering gets worse over time may need the extra help that a speech pathologist can offer. You can help by not only having your child assessed by a Speech/Language Pathologist, but by encouraging your child to talk slowly and calmly. Teach her how to take a deep breath when she is ready to talk, and if she is overly excited about something, have her calm down first or she'll never be able to get it out. Also, don't finish sentences for her, even though it can be hard to wait for her to finish when you know what it is that she wants. Be sensitive to the fact that she has a hard time getting out what she wants to say. Disfluency in speech can be difficult and distracting for a person to listen to, but you want to encourage her to speak to you, so you have to be extra tolerant of the slow rate of speech. Have her assessed and go from there!

Answer 4

Visit the web site for The Stuttering Foundation of America at www.stutteringhelp.org. There is information there that will help you decide if your child needs to see a speech therapist or if it is a phase she is going through with her speech. There is a risk factors chart to see if she might be facing a lifelong problem with stuttering. Check the "Brochures for all ages" section for more information, too. Your library might have some of their materials as they give books and DVDs to libraries to make them available to everyone.

Answer 5

The Stuttering Foundation of America is your best source for help for a young child who starts stuttering. I agree with Bud that you should look over their site and/or contact them.

Answer 6

She may need to go to speech therapy and there is no shame in that!!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully at her age and the others kids she'll be around, they will be too young to pick on her! Their speech is probably not perfect at three either!!!!!!!!! If it continues, seek a speech pathologist!!!!!! I would not worry!!!!!!