My Son Stutters

I remember when my now 6 year old went through this stage. I was like you I thought OH NO why is she studdering. She did get over it, and I think your husband is rught. Sometimes their little brains go so fast that their mouths cant keep up.

A.,
Has anything unusual happened lately? Toileting, moving, any new changes? My son did this when he was that age and, like yours he had an incredible vocabulary. In fact, he scored very high on the language development portion of the child find tests that someone mentioned. His stuttering was very upsetting to us because of his advanced language development. But with patience and trying not to upset him too much, waiting for him to finish, etc, it stopped. However, he is 5 now and he has stuttered again for a brief time when we moved last year and when he gets stressed.

My son did the same thing at around the same age. We noticed that it happened more when he was tired. He is now almost 4 and does not stutter any more (except on very rare occasions). I too read that is a developmental occurance but it can be disturbing in your own child. We found that it was best to not bring too much attention too it and be patient as our son was speaking.

Normal. Wait with a smile for him to say his words.

My son also stuttered, around the same age as your son if I remember correctly. My neighbor is a speach teacher at the local elementary school and she said it is very normal and they will outgrow it. Their brains are moving faster than than their mouth can. She said not to make a fuss over it and try not to say the words for them. It's frustrating and hard not to help them get the words out but it will pass.

Hi A.,
A little about me first: I am a retired early childhood teacher, having taught in a mixed age kindergarten for 18 years. I have 3 children - now ages 14, 24, and 26. I've also worked a lot with special needs kiddos and disabled adults. One of my kindergarten moms invited me to mamasource.
I wouldn't worry at all about a 2 or 3 year old who stutters. I wouldn't even try to correct his speech but I would slow myself down when I listen to him, get down on his level, and even take a few slow deep breaths. Often when we slow ourselves down and create a quiet, relaxed moment, children will automatically relax a bit, too. The power of imitation is pretty amazing!
When I would start to be concerned about speech is when a child is 5 or older and is having trouble being understood. This should definitely be evaluated before first grade.
I'm finally a SAHM, myself, after many years! Isn't it great!!

Hi A.-
It's not unusual for kids that age to stutter. My son did too and I found out it's pretty common in boys. Vocabulary is new to them, so sometimes their brain doesn't give them the word they want as quickly as they'd like. If they feel like they don't really have your attention or like they need to hurry that can cause them to stutter too. Just make sure you provide eye contact when your child is talking, smile, and don't rush him. Don't provide the word for him; let him get it on his own. He should grow out of it. If it gets worse or doesn't improve you may want to mention it to his doctor at his 3 year old physical. Good luck!
H.

Hi A.,
My daughter had the same problem. I was concerned that once she started preschool they would recommend speech therapy. But once she started school, almost immediately, her stuttering stopped. Her teacher explained that their brains are working faster than their mouths at that age and the stuttering is a short lived problem. Overall, my daughter noticeably stuttered for about 6-9 mos. She never stutters anymore and is a much better communicator. I guess I should mention, she is 3-1/2 years old now and just started preschool last September.

It may be nothing but error on the side of cution. Call your local school district and ask about the "Child Find" screening. Ask to be put on a contact list for the next screening day. Kids as young as 2 can get services through schools. It would be better to start now than wait until he is in school.

A.-
It could very well be that he is just so excited to speak and be heard and gets carried away. If you are located in Colorado Springs, I recommend you call The Resource Exchange ASAP to get an evaluation, just for peace of mind. He would get a free, multidisciplinary evaluation, but you would have to get in before he turns three, otherwise it goes to the school system. If nothing else, they can give you advice and where to turn, if there are any concerns. Good luck!

A.,
My daugther did that from age 2-3. When I had taken her in for check-up I asked about it. they said it is very common. And everyone who has stated "their brians are thinking faster than their mouths" is very TRUE.

My doctor made a good point, if you don't make it apparent that he has this problem, and don't correct the words for him, and let him figure out what he is saying, it REALLY WILL GO AWAY IN TIME. Before you know, you will have forgotten that he even had a stutter. It will go away. Just make sure that you and your hubby kinda "ignore" it and don't ever finish his sentences for him. If you do, that makes him think there is something wrong, and then he will become aware of the problem, and might focus too much on it.

I know things will work out for you in the end. My daughter will be 6 this summer, and has never stuttered since. I did lots of research on the internet, and I read many places that it was totaly common and normal. I stopped worring and let her take her "verbal" course.

:)

Stuttering at young age is very typical. What kind of stuttering he does is going to make a difference. Does he repeat sounds, words, part word? Most kids out grow it, and therapy isn't done until elementary school. Don't do anything to make it worse, ie put a lot of pressure on him to speak correctly. Odds are he will out grow it.

I haven't had a child stutter, but my mom says my brother did for a while when he was younger. Like the other posts, she said she got down on his level, made eye contact, and let him have all the time in the world to get out what he wanted to say. He eventually quit stuttering. He was child number 2 and things were busy, slowing down for him and letting him know what he had to say was important through the aforementioned strategies worked for she and my brother. Good luck!

Dear A.,
My son barely spoke a word until he was three, and then he stuttered ALOT as well. We were patient and gave him our focus and told him to think about what he wanted to say. W asked him to slow down and think about it. We did not make a big deal about it, just encouraged him to think it through. He is five now and never stutters...he speaks confidently and clearly. Don't worry, their little mouths eventually catch up with their brains.

Hi there, my daughter went thru this same thing at this age, it was so scary to me...to watch my beautiful baby girl, who could talk up a storm, have a hard time....good thing is, it really didn't last long and she doesn't remember it now at 4 1/2! One piece of advice.....sit as long as it it take and let him get it out, so that he doesn't get frustrated, and it may take a while....if he sees that you are being patient with it, then he will be too...best of luck!

I have never had experience with a child who stutters, but I have done research about it when a friend of mine had a son who stuttered. I found a few websites that claimed a few sessions with a good chiropractor could help immensely with stuttering. If it's a neurological issue, the chiropractor is my strongest suggestion.