Stammering in young children how normal?? please read details?

Question

I look after a little boy who was 3 in december, his speech is not amazing but he is a twin so it's taking a little longer as they have their own language, both boys have stammered a bit, eg....you you you you cooking dinner?? but one of them has started merging it so going youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu cooking dinner and he makes a strange face when he says it and its very loud!! I was wondering what your thoughts are as I know stutters and stammers are fairly common in young children but would like some feedback on maybe people who had experienced similar things.I have discussed it with his mum and told her i'd try and do a bit of research. Thank you for any help!!

Answer 1

Check out the web site for The Stuttering Foundation at www.stutteringhelp.org as they have a wealth of information to help parents of young children as well as others who care for them or teach them. There is a chart that will help you decide if and when a child should be seen by a specialist as well as things you can do at home to help. They have a referral list, online videos, and books that are available at public libraries.

Answer 2

Try to get his mum to get a referral for a dysfluency assessment at the speech therapy clinic as soon as she can. A lot of children who stammer don't do it forever and it's just a stage but there is a minority who don't and the earlier the start work with a speech therapist, the better.

It's important to find out whether he's aware (the speech therapist will do this), he probably is. If he realises, his stammer needs to acknowledged (saying for instance "oh, that was a bit bumpy") but not to dramatise it so he may feel 'different'. Also, adults should not discuss his stammering in front of him, in my area, speech therapists actually have a session with the parent alone to discuss the child's speech.

If he continues to stammer into his later childhood and teenage years, there's a lot of issues that could potentially crop up in the future centred around self esteem if it's not handled carefully. A speech therapist will also target these and give advice to parents and family.

Answer 3

My daughter (and niece and nephew) all have done the same thing, about at that age. My daughter and nephew were both tested by our kids schools Speech Pathologist. They were "diagnosed" with stuttering. We were given techniques to use. It seemed to "disappear" overnight, just as quick as it showed up. I think that their little brains are working so hard and so fast and they just are not able to talk as fast as they think. If is is still a pronounced problem in about 6 to 8 months, or if THEY start to notice the "problem" and they begin feel self-conscious about it, then would be an excellent time to look into testing.
From my experience, most kids (both girls and boys) go through a period where the stammer or stutter quite a bit. Most out grow it, but for some it does become a problem that required speech therapy. Most schools will provide testing and therapy for children starting at age 3 and will continue with them until things have improved.

Answer 4

Are there any new changes in his life (new baby, more, school related problems, family issues)? Often times when children are stressed they will start stuttering. If you feel he is stressed, do whatever you can to comfort him. Don't tell him to slow down or repeat. He will only become more aware and begin to feel frustrated. I'm a preschool/kindergarten teacher and I have had several stutters. In several cases, there was a huge change or stress in the child's life. I had one student who started stuttering for about 4 months after her baby sister arrived and then it stopped. In many other cases with stutters, I felt it coincided with a growth spurt. Their bodies are just growing and learning too fast for them and it takes time to catch up. Their mind is thinking of words much faster than they can get them out. If there aren't any big changes or stress in his life, it is most likely a growth spurt that he is going through. Don't finish his sentences for him because it will only cause frustration on his part. Pretend like you don't notice. Give it some time yet if he doesn't improve in a few months, he can get free speech therapy through the local school district. Check out the Stuttering Foundation of America web site at http://www.stutteringhelp.org and read their tips on helping the child who stutters. Relax and good luck!

Answer 5

It sounds as if it's within the normal range but if his mother has any concerns about his speech development she should contact the speech therapy services.
It varies from area to area but where I live she can refer her children herself, otherwise she should speak to her GP or Health Visitor. She shouldn't let them fob her off but should insist on a referral.
My son had very delayed speech development but I accepted advice from the Health Visitor for months before discovering I could self refer. My son turned out to have a severe specific language disorder. It's unlikely that the child you're asking about will have the same problem but it's best to put everyone's mind at rest.

Answer 6

sounds like my son. I would advise getting him evaluated for speech. It is normal for some children to go through a phase and sometimes it will pass without needing speech.
My son was evaluated for speech several months ago and they said give it time. he is now 4 and he will start taking speech to correct this. some things that can help are: do not talk too fast, pause between phrases. try not to ask too many direct questions to put him on the spot. instead of saying "do you like this juice?" say "this juice is good" and he will not think he has to answer right away and can think about what he wants to say. When he asks you a question, wait a few seconds before answering so he will know thats ok.
good luck

Answer 7

i had this problem with my little boy who is nearly 4. I took him to speech therapy which he was under anyway and they said it was perfectly normal for children of that age. He has grown out of it but does it on the very odd occassion. The most important thing for you and his parents to do is not make a big deal of it in front of him, as this will make him worse. I think that it has a lot to do with having so much info in ther head that they want to get out and just struggle to do it. It is very upsetting watching thme struggle like that but honestly it is really common in this age group. Have you mentioned it to his mum?

Answer 8

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Answer 9

Totally normal. His brain works faster than his mouth, hence the stammering. Just ignore it. It should go away soon. And try not to compare the twins; I know that's difficult not to do as I have twins as well!

Answer 10

both of my girls did it too it just came out the blue and then it suddenly stopped after a few months they did it when they were about 2 and 3 years old and are 3 and 7 now. and speak perfectley well , i would not worry to much at the moment wait and see what happens and if you feel its not getting any better but worse see your health visitor.