Stuttering Advise

My oldest son did the same thing. He spoke at a young age very well. His dr. ended up telling us that this is very common at that age when they are learning so many words so fast. It is almost like their mouth can't catch up with their brain. It was definitely getting to the point after a few months that I was really worried but it ended up just going away after 3 months or so. At this point I would try not to worry about it. I'm guessing it will go away on its own in a couple months.

My 2.5 year old daughter did the same thing. It seemed to happen out of no where. The more stress you put on the child about not stuttering makes the problem worse. (Try not to draw attention to it, don't tell them to slow down, or think about what they want to say. They know what they want to say, it's just a matter of getting the lips and voice to work together.) Just be patient as he tries to get his thoughts out. With my daughter it seemed to disappear as quickly as it came. It lasted a good 6-ish months. One day she stuttered with every sentence, the next day no stuttering at all. Just be patient, he's still learning how to communicate.

Just to put your mind at ease, I would get him evaulated through your local school district. They typically have a speech therapist on staff. It is free and recommended for all children to be evaulated. I would schedule an appt. and share your concerns. If they see he would benefit from early intervention speech therapy they will provide it, free of charge.

I didn't get a chance to read all the other replies, so forgive me if I repeat them.

I stuttered when I was little and my parents were able to work through it with me by just telling me to "slow down". I think that if you give him your full attention and ask him to slow down, he won't be rushing through what he is trying to say. Something that simple can help at home, but there is nothing wrong with seeing a speech therapist. Why not get this taken care of now, instead of when he gets to preschool or older, and is teased for it.

K.,
I think all kids go through this to some degree. They just have so much to say its hard for their mouths to catch up with their brains and as a result they can stutter or have other difficulties. If you are really concerned contact your pediatrition's office. They should be able to help.

My son, who was an early talker, started stuttering at about 20 months. My pediatrician said that it was a normal phase for many children, as they become able to think in words more quickly than they can speak them. She said that it typically happens around age 3, but it can vary depending on the child's language skills at a given age.

My son's stuttering gradually disappeared after 3 or 4 months. Now he only stutters occasionally when he is really excited about something. We don't make a big deal about it, we just let him take his time and finish what he needs to say. But I do agree with the other moms -- if your son is still stuttering a lot at his 3-year checkup, I'd look into getting him tested to to make sure you catch a potential problem early.

Our little girl who is now almost five went through the same thing at the same age. We did a lot of internet research and basically came up with...don't draw attention to it, don't discourage the stuttering and be super patient every time they stutter. (Which for us was every sentence!) We asked our Doc about it too and he echoed the same thoughts. It took her about 6-8 months to "outgrow" it. She turns 5 next month and rarely stutters. I would definitely talk to your doctor to help alleviate your concerns and just make sure there isn't something else going on.

Surprise - It's normal!!

Sometimes kids this age have a hard time forming what is in their brain into a sentance (espcially if they are starting to understand how sentances should be and getting into more complex speach). The result is a stutter. My kids would start a sentace 4 or 5 times before they could complete it.

The best thing to do is to help him stop, think about what he wants to say, and then say it. I would hold up a finger and tell him "stop a second." Then tell him "think about what you want to say" and give him at least 15-30 seconds (it feels longer than you'd expect) of think time. Then say "tell me what you wanted to say".
It's not going to happen all at once. But as he gets older, his brain will mature as well and he'll be able to speak clearly again. In the mean time, help him slow down a bit. My kids have all grown out of the stutter (although every so often they get too excited, especially as their concept of language increases and I have to slow them down again)

Interestingly, when I taught Kindergarten, I saw kids going throught this same thing :)

I haven't read all your responses, but my son had the same issue at that age and I asked a good friend of mine who is a speech therapist about it. She said it can be pretty normal at this age for them to just be thinking faster than they can get the words out. But..she said a speech therapist would tell me to slow down when I talk to him, (not tell him to slow down) and get on his level and really listen to him. She also said they would suggest slowing life down too. I have tried this stuff and he seems to be better. Especially when I talk slower and get on his level to listen, he slows down and can get the words out. If these things don't start to at least give some improvement, I would ask your pediatrician and maybe got to a therapist.

At the daycare I worked at a few years ago we had a speech therapist come in for one of the kids with other issues but stuttering was one of the problems and she recommended that we just repeat everything he says back to him that way he can hear it again. And the stuttering would usually only happen when he was very excited so we would also tell him to slow down and the stuttering would be less. I have noticed this in my son who is 2.5 and if I repeat what he says when he is excited he will say it again and with no stuttering. Just a thought...maybe it will help. If not...talking to a doctor won't hurt. :)

When you notice him start to stutter get down at his level, look him in the eye and let him know you are listening. Sometimes it happens because kids are not getting the attention they need or they feel they are not being heard.
If he gets frustrated over it tell him it's ok and to take a deep breath and try again, be very patient.

My son also had this problem. He is a little over 2 1/2 now, but it started out of the blue and continued for a while. We worked on just telling him to slow down and he was able to slow down and talk. It is just their little brains going to fast..their mouth can't catch up. He will be fine, just give it some time. Don't make fun, but encourage him to slow down and breathe.

This is so typical of kids. My doctor explained that they go through stages where they are learning so much so quickly that they will stutter. It can last a few days or a couple of years. My middle son has done it so bad in the past that he barely gets anything out of his mouth. So don't worry it is just a part of learning.

As a precaution, at his next Well-Visit, ask the doctor about it, that way he/she can keep an eye on it in the off chance it is something else.

My daughter did the same thing. I took her to the doctor, because I was worried and it was a total waste of time (and my insurance ended up not covering it either). The dr. told me it was normal, because sometimes their brain is so smart that their words can't keep up. Give it a little more time and see if it stops on it's own. My daughter only did it for a few months and now is speaking fine again.

I am an adult stutterer (31-years-old), and have been through therapy on-and-off my entire life. Everyone thought I would grow out of it, but I didn't. The therapy I received at a young age was poor, plus stuttering runs in my family, which are both reasons why I still struggle with it.

That said, stuttering is common in young children and most DO grow out if it. The other advice you've recieved is correct: talk to him on his level, be patient, look him in the eye, give him all the time in the world to speak, don't finish his sentences, and if possible, stop any teasing immediately. He should grow out of it soon, but keep an eye on it. If it continiues, I would have him checked out by a good speech therapist. (If stuttering runs in your family, I'd get it checked out sooner rather than later.)

he will likely grow out of it. I'd give it until he's about 3. If it has not improved or gotten worse by then, time to see a speech pathologist that specializes in fluency. It is critical that you find one that specializes in fluency - it is very, very easy to make stuttering much worse. my mom trained as a speech pathologist - she tackled articulation (letter sounds) w/my son but she wouldn't touch the fluency issue - insisted I see someone that had lots of training in just fluency. and, she wouldn't touch the articulation until he had good fluency.
ok, now i'm off the soapbox. 90% of docs will tell you to wait until they're five. I wouldn't. If it has not improved or gotten worse by three, it's highly unlikely he'll grow out of it and its much easier to correct when they're very young.
some things you can do right now. be sure to speak slowly - not ridiculously slow just more like a southerner than a new yorker. get on his eye level when he speaks with your undivided attention. give him all the time in the world to tell you his thought. do not finish his sentences - let him get them out.
I'd also steer clear of child find. yes, they're free. use them for the screening and testing but not the therapy. Most, if not all, of their speech therapists have not been trained in fluency.
lastly, i know a great speech pathologist in the denver area that worked wonders w/our oldest - you'd never know he stuttered all the way through preschool and had issues at the start of K and 1st grades. let me know if you want her name and number.

Here's a website for The Stuttering Foundation: www.stutteringhelp.org, they wrote a good pamphlet entitled "Seven tips for talking with your child."

If you're ever concerned about any of these issues, definitely talk to your pediatrician about it. That being said, I can't speak to your exact situation, but it is common for kids of this age to go through phases of stuttering. My daughter went through this, but my son hasn't. With my daughter, it came and went for probably about a year. She's 5 now and has no issues with it anymore. I'd ask your pediatrician how to tell the difference between normal development and an actual speech problem and follow his/her recommendations.

K.,

You have a wonderfully gifted little boy in my opinion!! He's very likely thinking faster than his tongue can handle. This was the experience that my older sister had with her first born. Bright, speaking well, and excited about it!! I would suggest seeing a speech therapist, as it won't hurt, but only help, if indeed there is a "problem". And slowing him down a bit when he's talking might help. Hold his hands, look him in the eyes and let him know you are listening to him. Don't correct him, but wait patiently and intently for the words to come out, and they will!!

V.
GOOD LUCK!