Stuttering as a Child

Early childhood stuttering can often be a normal part of development. As children begin to puts words together to make longer sentences, they may get stuck on a word, repeats words, or ‘gets lost’ half way through their sentence. Your child’s stutter may fluctuate, being noticeable for several days or weeks, then having a break from stuttering before starting back up again. This is also a normal part of development.

When to be concerned?

If you do notice your child presenting with any of the following then it is strongly recommended that you seek advice from a speech pathologist:

• has been stuttering for 5-6 months without any fluctuations
• exhibits behaviours such as tension in the face, neck or shoulders when they are stuttering
• continually gets stuck on sounds e.g. says “mmmmmmmmum”, “fisssssssshhhhhhhhing”

Back