Um, um, ah…my almost five year old daughter has been struggling with stuttering for the past few months. Stuttering by definition is a disruption of speech. This can look and sound different from child to child. Some of the most common stutters are:

• Repeating sounds, syllables or words like W-W-What
• Prolonged sounds for example SSSend
• Using interjections such as um, like, ah
• Blocked speech, mouth open but no words coming out
• Being out of breath or nervous while talking
• Increased stuttering when tired, excited or stressed
• Being afraid to talk

While often concerning to parents, stuttering is common and often a normal part of speech development. Early signs of stuttering usually show up between 18-24 months as there is an increase in vocabulary which results in children putting together sentences. However, it can also show up later, usually between the age of two to five and may come and go through time. My daughter for example, started with a mild stutter at age 4, disappeared after a few months, and then reappeared just a few months ago.

There is no agreed upon reason for stuttering, but there are a few theories. One is that the brain’s messages for speaking has a disconnect with the muscles needed for speech, in other words our words cannot keep up with what our brain wants to say. Another is that stuttering has a large genetic component and can be passed from parent to child.

As a parent with a child that has a stutter it can be really frustrating at times. Here are some tips to help your child:

• Don’t interrupt your child or tell them to start over
• Don’t tell them to think before they speak
• Don’t tell them to slow down or take your time-these comments can make them self-conscious about their speech
• Don’t make your child speak correctly at all times
• Don’t finish their sentences for them, even if you anticipate what the end might be
• Do let your child finish their thoughts and sentences before responding
• Do slow down your own talking so they may match your own calm and pace
• Do maintain eye contact with your child when they are speaking
• Do encourage talking about fun and easy topics

Most of the time stuttering will go away on its own. However, if stuttering lasts more than six months, is impacting your child’s life, or you notice other concerning symptoms ask your pediatrician for a referral to a speech language pathologist for an evaluation. As a parent of a child with a stutter it can be difficult for both the parent and child; her younger brother tends to interrupt while she is trying to get her words out, I try my best to not finish her sentences. But with some time and some patience we will get through this together.

References: KidsHealth (March 2022). Stuttering. https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/stutter.html
John’s Hopkins Medical Center (n.d.) Stuttering in Children https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/stuttering

Written by: Katie Schlagheck, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator Ottawa & Sandusky Counties, Ohio State University Extension

Reviewed by: Holly Bandy, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Stark County, Ohio State University Extension