Why stammering in children

Also visit our online store and library pages to see if your local library has these materials. Skip to main content Skip to navigation. Is Your Child Stuttering? The normally disfluent child The normally disfluent child occasionally repeats syllables or words once or twice, li-li-like this.

Disfluencies may also include hesitancies and the use of fillers such as "uh", "er", "um". Disfluencies occur most often between ages one and one-half and five years, and they tend to come and go. They are usually signs that a child is learning to use language in new ways. If disfluencies disappear for several weeks, then return, the child may just be going through another stage of learning. The child with milder stuttering A child with milder stuttering repeats sounds more than twice, li-li-li-li-like this.

Tension and struggle may be evident in the facial muscles, especially around the mouth. The pitch of the voice may rise with repetitions, and occasionally the child will experience a "block" -- no airflow or voice for several seconds. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Stuttering — also called stammering or childhood-onset fluency disorder — is a speech disorder that involves frequent and significant problems with normal fluency and flow of speech. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic.

Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Stuttering. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Accessed May 4, Childhood-onset fluency disorder stuttering. Arlington, Va. FAQ: Stuttering facts and information. Stuttering Foundation of America. Doctors and scientists aren't completely sure why some kids stutter.

But most believe that a few things contribute to it, such as a problem with the way the brain's messages interact with the muscles and body parts needed for speaking. Many believe that stuttering may be genetic. Kids who stutter are three times more likely to have a close family member who also stutters, or did. The first signs of stuttering tend to appear when a child is about 18—24 months old.

At this age, there's a burst in vocabulary and kids are starting to put words together to form sentences. To parents, the stuttering may be upsetting and frustrating, but it is natural for kids to do some stuttering at this stage. Be as patient with your child as possible. A child may stutter for a few weeks or several months, and the stuttering may come and go. Most kids who begin stuttering before the age of 5 stop without any need for help such as speech or language therapy.

But if your child's stuttering happens a lot, gets worse, or happens along with body or facial movements, seeing a speech-language therapist around age 3 is a good idea. Usually, stuttering lets up when kids enter elementary school and start sharpening their communication skills.

A school-age child who continues to stutter is likely aware of the problem and may be embarrassed by it. There are different speech and language therapy approaches that can help people who stammer to speak more easily. Electronic devices to reduce stammering are also available and can help some older children and adults, but they're not usually available on the NHS.

Around 2 in 3 children who stammer will grow out of it, although it's difficult to predict when this will happen in a particular child. It's estimated that stammering affects around 1 in adults, with men being around 3 to 4 times more likely to stammer than women. Page last reviewed: 15 November Next review due: 15 November What is stammering? Stammering is when: you repeat sounds or syllables — for example, saying "mu-mu-mu-mummy" you make sounds longer — for example, "mmmmmmummy" a word gets stuck or does not come out at all Stammering varies in severity from person to person, and from situation to situation.

Types of stammering There are 2 main types of stammering: developmental stammering — the most common type of stammering that happens in early childhood when speech and language skills are developing quickly acquired or late-onset stammering — is relatively rare and happens in older children and adults as a result of a head injury, stroke or progressive neurological condition.

It can also be caused by certain drugs, medicines, or psychological or emotional trauma The information here focuses on developmental stammering. What causes stammering?