When Stuttering Grabs Your Tongue

Is someone in your house dealing with stuttering? Here's what you should know about this difficult condition.

Does your child ever have difficulty speaking? Does he or she hesitate or repeat syllables, words, or phrases? While your first inclination may be to call the issue stuttering, it may be a normal part of language development.

So when should you be worried about a youngster struggling to get words out, how can you know if it's a true problem or just normal development, what causes stuttering, what can you do as a parent to help, and when should you seek professional help?

These are just a few of the important questions to consider if you suspect your child is suffering from stuttering.

Stuttering or Dysfluency?

As children learn to talk, many will stutter on occasion as part of normal language development. This interruption in speech is mistaken for stuttering, but it is actually known as dysfluency. Many toddlers and preschoolers stumble on or mispronounce words, repeat sounds, hesitate as they talk, or have difficulty making certain sounds. A dysfluent child may occasionally repeat words or syllables once or twice. For example, they may say, “I li-li-like that.”

Normal dysfluency comes and goes and is more common in boys. It may be especially noticeable when a child is tired, stressed, or excited. While this may be worrisome to parents, most children learn to have normal speech and leave the dysfluency behind.

As opposed to normal dysfluency, a child with a true stuttering problem will continue to stutter for longer than six months and will not improve during that time. A child with mild stuttering will repeat sounds more than twice. (“I li-li-li-li-like that.”) You may notice tension in the facial muscles, usually around the mouth. The child's voice may get higher in pitch with the repetitions and the child may get quiet and not breath for several seconds.

A child with severe stuttering will struggle with more than 10 percent of his or her words and show considerable tension and effort. This child may even change words to avoid stuttering.

What's the Cause of Stuttering?

A variety of factors contribute to the problem of stuttering. Experts say that genetics play a large role, as nearly 60 percent of people who stutter have a family member who also stuttered. Additionally, other developmental delays or language problems contribute to stuttering. For those who stutter, language is processed in a different area of the brain. There seems to be a communication problem between the brain and the body muscles responsible for speaking.

How Can Parents Help?

If your child has a stuttering problem, it is important for parents and other family members to model relaxed, slow, normal-sounding speech when talking with the affected child. Speaking in this manner is better than telling your child to slow down or to take a deep breath. Each day, parents should give their child a time of undivided attention so the child can talk freely about what is on his or her mind. Parents should never show annoyance or frustration at a child's stuttering, and you should avoid correcting or interrupting a stuttering child. Being patient and reassuring is immensely important if your child is to outgrow stuttering.

A large part of overcoming stuttering is often more a matter of overcoming the fear of stuttering. Therefore, drawing attention to or making fun of a stuttering child will only make it worse for the child. Also try to avoid putting your child in uncomfortable situations in which they must talk in front of people.

When to Seek Help

If your child's stuttering lasts more than six months, if the stuttering is frequent and doesn't seem to be improving, if it is accompanied by facial or body movement, or if it is making your child self-conscious or anxious, speech therapy should be pursued. With effective treatment, your child can overcome stuttering and gain complete control over his or her use of language.