Stuttering - Wailuku, HI

I have three sons, and my oldest was a very early talker as well. But he also started stuttering a bit at 2 1/2. My doctor said it was just that it was common for some kids who had so much to say, to stutter a bit. It's just hard for them to get the words out fast enough, or the brain is working faster than the vocal skills. He grew out of it within the year. He's now 10, extremely bright and I don't think you have anything to worry about, unless it seems like she's really frustrated with her speech.

I hear that is usually a sign of distress (if they are speaking normally for their age and then regress). Is there something stressful in her life right now?

My son and my niece both did the same thing starting a little after their second birthdays. My ped. said that at that age they just want to say so much and their mouths can't keep up with their brains. Both of them outgrew it within a couple of months. Hang in there!

Hi M.,

My name is G. and I am a speech language pathologist. It is completely normal for children this age to stutter. It does have to do with having alot to say and with typical development. My son did the same thing and like your daughter his language was advanced for his age. It will more than likely disappear on it's own. In the mean time continue to be patient with her when she talks (I know it can drive you a little crazy waiting) and don't try to finish words or "fill in the blanks" to help her out. Knowing that she has plenty of time to tell you things and feeling relaxed are the best ways to help her (and you) through it. As with anything, just monitor it and if it doesn't go away then you can take the next step, such as formal evaluation.

Hope this helped some. Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.

G. Buegge
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Hi M.,

Our 2 1/2 year old was stuttering for a while, a couple of months after his second birthday. We got the impression that he was just playing with the sounds he was making. He was in the middle of a language explosion at the time, and the stuttering seemed to be part of it. In any case, he stopped stuttering a few months later and is doing fine. If you are worried, you could ask your doctor. Otherwise, maybe just watch for a while and see what happens.

C.

Hi there,

My son started stuttering around 2 and nine months to 3 years-old and I was never really too worried, but everyone else was. He was really taking forever to say things...I sort of helped him along with it and really paid attention to what he was saying and all of a sudden, it stopped! He stuttered for about one month and never again. In my case, I think he wanted attention because he had just started pre-school and my second child was just beginning to actually be a "real" little person, demanding a lot of attention as well. So, maybe it's just a phase. Good luck.

Hi, M.,

My son also started stuttering when he was about 3 years old. It started suddenly and was quite pronounced, involving tics of him moving his hand next to his mouth and then moving it downward from his mouth as if he were physically trying to push the words out of his mouth. I took him to a speech language therapist and was given similar advice as Gretchen in a previous post did and that proved to be quite helpful.

Being a Marriage & Family Therapist, I also know that sometimes stuttering can be triggered by a stressful event for the child. After thinking through what could have happened to my son just prior to the onset of his stuttering, it finally dawned on me that when my Mom came to visit us the week it started, she had said something to the effect that she just loves him so much, she's going to pack him in a suitcase and take him home (to FL) with her.

Realizing that kids this age are extremely concrete thinkers, I suddenly realized he may have taken her quite literally. I sat him down and asked him if he remembered her saying this to him (this was after she had gone home from her vacation already). His response was to get teary-eyed and he said he wanted to stay and live with me and Dad! Poor little guy! After I reassured him he would always stay living with us and that Ma (what he calls my Mom) just meant that she loves him so much and misses him so much that she wishes he were with her more often, he suddenly stopped stuttering so profoundly!

Stuttering is also genetic, and my son still, at 5 1/2 still has difficulties with pronouncing words and strangers still have some difficulty in understanding him (he was diagnosed with Phonological Disorder). He was assesed in Kindergarten last year and started Speech Therapy through the school district. By the end of the school year last spring, he was pronouncing his words much more succinctly and was more understandable. He started stuttering a slight bit more over the summer without the continuation of speech therapy, but now that the school year has started again, I know this will improve again once he starts the sessions again. He is now in 1st grade and this has not affected his learning abilities one iota. He even was voted the Most Improved Reader of his Kindergarten class at the end of the year!

Hope that helps and is of some reassurance for you!
Take Care,
S. Wolf

Just wanted to let you know a few things and ask a few questions. First, I am a speech pathologist and want to tell you that, at age 3, stuttering (or dysfluency, as we like to say), can be very typical. It sounds like mostly ‘whole word repetitions’ rather than “sound repetitions’, which is what we expect at this age. Does he ever completely get ‘blocked’ (noting comes out and it looks effortful)? Does it change with mood (excitement or anger)? Some great things to do are…make and keep eye contact when talking, don’t finish his thoughts, and slow things down. You can even reassure him by telling him that he has you attention and that you are really interested it what he has to say!
N.
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For what it's worth...My son started stuttering when he was 2 1/2 as well and up until then was quite the talker...I didn't make a big deal about it or even really bring it to his attention. It lasted for a few months and then stopped. He briefly started doing it again this past summer while on vacation with family...lots of change and excitement going on...and again it stopped. I read that some children go through this stage when their brains are firing faster than they can get out the speech and not to make a bit deal about it. Of course if it lasts and becomes worrisome, you can seek professional help.
I hope this helps.

Good Morning M.,
I have never encounted stuttering my self, however my daughter did have a speech delay as well week muscles in her mouth which caused her to need speech theraphy.
Here is my suggestion. Call a local elementary school and ask to speak to the speech therapist. You can explain the situation and get the advice that you need. Also ask when he can start receiving speech services from the school district. I think it now starts at 3 yrs. old. It is done in a preschool situation.
I sure hope that I have been some help to you. Let me know what happens with your darling little girl. Best Wishes

hi M.,
It's so weird to read this because this VERY thing just happened with my 2 and a half year old. We also have a 4 month old baby and recently bought a new home and have had a lot of changes, so i thought maybe it was to do with that, but it came out of NOWHERE. One day she was talking normally and the next, BAM, totally stuttering, and not just a little bit, SEVERELY. It totally scared us, but it's been a week or so now and it's just a little bit here and there, so it's already a lot better.
I am sure it'll go away on it's own, and she sure is noticing a lot about the world and has a lot to say, so i am not worried and don't think you need to be either!
Just give her some extra mommy time, eh?
:)
Have a great day, and thanks for your request, because it has made me feel better too!
:)
S.
www.MomsOnAMission.US

Hi M.,

Child Development experts say that it is normal to go through a period of stuttering. It happens because a child is excited, stressed, or distracted. The best way to deal with it is to ignore it. The more you draw attention to the stuttering, the worse it usually gets. Most children will outgrow it as they get older, but if you find that it gets much worse and is upsetting to your child, there are speech therapy specialists who can work with her. You can ask your doctor for a referral.