Stuttering - Midland,TX

Hi L.,
My eldest daughter (now 9) had a terrible stuttering problem when she was about 2 1/2 until she was around 4. She has no stuttering issue now. I was worried just like you and didn't want her to become self conscious about it. When she was around 3 1/2 I got advice from her pre school montessori teacher that she would grow out of it and not to tell her "slow down" or "it's okay" (when she would get frustrated) or try to help her finish her sentences for her. Just to let her finish what she was trying to say like everything was perfectly normal-even if it took her a long time to get it out. Basically, make no notice of the stuttering. I don't even think she ever knew she stuttered, but it was pretty bad. When a couple older children we were around made fun of it, I was really worried that she would get self conscious, but it never happened. I think she did not even know what they were talking about. Eventually one day I realized she hadn't done it in a while and then it was gone! It does have something to do with their brains working quicker than their mouthes can keep up with!I wouldn't worry about it (for now)but make no notice of it-that is the most important thing! Good luck!

M.

I used to stutter as a child. The one thing that my father would tell me when I would start to stutter is stop and think about what you are going to say. Now say it. It helped me sooo much even today i will stutter once in awhile and I will have to tell myself"Stop, think about what I want to say."

My youngest son stuttered when he got excited and tried to talk. Along with that he was having difficulty pronouncing words that started with 'S'. When he was in kindergarten we lived in Deer Park where they had speech therapy classes. It only took him about 12 weeks and his stuttering was gone and his words that he had difficulty speaking were easy for him. He is now in his mid 40s and has no difficulty with the stuttering or pronounciation of words. Don't be too concerned as it should all pass as he gets older. Lots of kids are not even saying enough words at 2 1/2 to be concerned with stuttering.

Hi L.,

I am a speech pathologist in private practice in Midland. Many children go through a phase of dysfluncies which does naturally go away. We tell parents to monitor their child's dysfluencies and if they persist for more than 6 months, then have a professional check them out. In the meantime, try not to bring too much attention to it and just be sure you give your son time to say what he wants to say - don't rush him or try to say it for him. Make sure you talk "slow and easy" to him so he can model your speech. Good luck and if you have any questions, just write back. L.

Stuttering in 2 year olds, especially in boys, is very normal. You are right to notice that his brain is working faster than his mouth because that is exactly what is going on. It is common for this happen during the language explosion. Singing can be a way for a child to communicate without stuttering and you can also help you son by working with him to slow down and breathe. The stuttering will go away with maturation of language.

hey! i'm a speech therapist. how long has he been doing it? is it on the first letter of the word, whole words, phrases? does it occur more when he's anxious? there is normal and abnormal stuttering. abnormal would be stuttering on the sirst letter (bbbbbbbbbball), grimacing, or prolonging the sound. normal stuttering would be (my mom, my mom my mom goes to the store). if you need a piece of mind, get him evaluated. good luck!

Hi L.,
you need to be seen by a speechie to fully assess the situation, but therapy could be necessary. In Australia, you would be 'monitored' and provided therapy if the stuttering was amajor issue for you or your son, and yes, there is a family history common to some stutterers. It is likely that he may grow out of it given his age, but there is no way of knowing that until he is older (!), being a speechie, I can't help but suggest the cautious route, and say get him seen, if nothing else, it may help you to feel informed.
Good Luck!

I have two friends who stuttered but never went to therapy. (Both had great self-esteem) One is now a singer in his early 50s who stutters when he talks, but not when he sings. He was a teacher and principle at a church-school in LA. The other went to high school with me and he was determined to become a sports announcer for the NBA. (Still not there yet) He would always be the first to volunteer to read out loud in class and had decided that he was going to beat it on his own. By the time we graduated he rarely stuttered at all. I think as young as your son is you should get him evaluated so that he doesn't go so long with it. I do know that they hated to be corrected or helped with words. Good luck

Both of my kids did this when they were 2. I talked with a speech therapist who told me that it was VERY normal. She said it was very important to be patient with them and to be sure and not draw any attention to it so they would not become self-conscious...which would make it worse. We acted as if nothing was going on and they both grew out of it in a few months. It bothered me more more than it bothered them!

L., both my daughters also stuttered somewhat when they were younger(now 12 & 13 1/2). It was not permanent in my girls case. Just have patience with him and remind him to just slow down and think about what you want to say. I think it is something alot of young children go through in different degrees and outgrow later. Both of my girls are perfectly normal by the time they were in pre-k or k-5. No speech therapy needed, just a little patience and love.

L., since he is still not yet 3 you can have an eval done by your local Early Childhood Intervention program. YOur pedi should be able to LYK who handles this in your area. No need for a referral and I think the eval is still free, but things may have changed since my DD was in ECI.

My son also stuttered when he was that age. He was thinking the words in his head faster than he could get them out. We were just patient with him and he did grow out of it by the time he was 3. Hope that helps.

IMHO.. I would wait at this point. What you said about his brain going faster than his mouth might very well be true.
My mom said that I stuttered until I was 4. She asked my pedi if she should take me to Speech therapy and he said to wait another year - that he saw it as something that was commonly grown out of.
I don't remember ever stuttering. Mom said that I grew out of it well before the year was out.
Also, my daughter has trouble with hard g and c/k sounds. Her teachers (preschool) and pedi (Austin Reg Clinic) all recommend waiting another year.
So there's my 2cents - hope it helps

K. H,
mama to Catherine (4) and Samuel (13mos)
wife to Chris (much older)

Ho L., My sisters boy started to stutter when he was around 4 years old we noticed it and took him to the dr. they ran a few test and come to find out he had A.D.D. the medication has helped hom slow down but so far he still stutters but it seems to get worse when he gets excited. he is now 13 but we did take him off his meds. we didnt like them but he is getting better then he was. good luck

My youngest daughter used to stutter. I too was concerned and so I brought it up with my pedi. during a well visit. In her case it was just that her desire to communicate was greater than her ability to get the words out. When we noticed that she was starting to stutter we would ask her to slow down and think about what it was she wanted to say. That seemed to help alot. She has grown out of it now.

L. M,
I have two children, 8 and 11. Both seemed to studder a bit until about kindergarten. I am not an expert but I think that you have it figured right. There minds are thinking faster than there mouths can spit out the words. I believe that there vocabulary is increasing daily with learning new words with new experiences they must put it all together. Hang in there. Sounds like your 2 1/2 year olds are just like my kids were. Ask your pediatrician the next time you go in for a visit if you are still concerned.

Don't comment on his stuttering and don't finish his sentences for him. Wait patiently for him to finish. Speak a bit more slowly to him and encourage him to speak slowly. Both of my children stuttered and both overcome it by speaking deliberatly and distinctly.

I am a Speech Pathologist. Stuttering can be hereditary. There are also many other factors that come into play when considering if a child is in need of therapy. We look at how long has it been going on, the severity, types of stuttering done, does the child realize that he is doing it, does he have any other speech sound errors, and how often the stuttering occurs. At 2 1/2 a child’s vocabulary is growing and it often causes a child to stutter for a short period of time. You should watch him for the next couple months and see if it is occurring more frequently and is becoming more severe. When he turns 3 you can have him evaluated by your local school district for free. They would probably do indirect therapy where they would have him use slow easy speech in therapy and at home. I wouldn't worry too much about it yet but just watch and see what you think. If you ever feel like it is becoming a problem and it starts to bother you I would recommend getting an evaluation for your own piece of mind. I hope this helps!

Hi there,
I have a 13 year old son who used to stutter as a toddler. I did not know what to do about it I noticed people laughing when he did it because, he was little and it was just so darned cute. It concerned me though, because when someone laughed, it got harded for him to make the word, and he would stutted harder. Then a friend who stuttered as a child gave me her input and it worked like a charm. He has no problem at all with stuttering now, even when nervous or in public speaking. The main thing is don't laugh, don't rush him, give him your full attention and don't get distracted (focus FOR him , he will learn to focus from your example) encourage him with things like "take your time, son" and let your family and friends know this is how you want them to react too. With all that reinforcement , he'll outgrow it, no problem. Don't worry about the occassional person, say, at the grocery store who laughs,it would be worse to bring it up in front of him and make it into a big deal, could cause him to notice it more and get more nervous when he talks. Just make sure those who he's around most are aware of this method. What you want to do is keep it from becoming something he fears being ridiculed about, then he'll attach that nervous feeling to stuttering and that's harder to overcome. So no matter how many times it takes him to get a word out, just look intently into his eyes and be pacient. He will sense your calm and focus and do the same. Hope this helps. It'll probably stop by grade school

Simple, just make sure you give him eye contact every time he speaks. Also, ask him to think about what he wants to say in his mind first, then say it. It may take about three months. I promise you will notice the difference. They probably don't have time to reinforce this at the daycare but you could ask them to help him.

Hi - My son, who is now 24, did the same thing when he was 3 1/2 - 4 yrs. old. And it was as you described - he was thinking faster than he could articulate. Someone put me in contact with a school counselor and she tested him to see if he would qualify for help from the district. Now, in order to qualify, he had to miss a certain number of questions to be in the right percentile required. She had to take him to a second grade level (at 4 yrs of age) in order to qualify. She also tested him for ADHD - he wasn't. He just had too much information running through his head causing sensory overload. He wanted to learn everything at once, but couldn't verbalize it when he wanted to. The counselor taught a simple technique. Work one on one with him and make him take a deep breathe before he speaks. This gives him time to slow down his thought process and gives him enough air in which to speak. His mind was going 90 to nothing and he wasn't taking enough of a deep breathe in between words to be able to form new words. Within 6 months, he no longer stuttered and he was given a life skill which he could use if the situation arose again.

My grandaughter (my son's niece) developed the same problem at 2 1/2 yrs. old. My daughter overreacted and had her tested and put in PPCD classes when she turned 3. In the meantime, I used the same technique on her. The problem was gone before she started school. Technically she didn't need to go, but my daughter pushed the issue and said she was already qualified so she might as well go to school. Oh well, she is doing wonderful in school and loves it.

Hope this helps.
L.

My grandson went thru the same thing around 3 or 4. I felt his brain was running faster than his mouth also. He has a huge imagination, great vocabulary, etc... I read online that you shouldn't try to "finish" his words or thoughts for him, don't acknowledge it to him, don't act like he is having a problem. Get down face level, calmly wait and listen without helping, ....we did all these things, all that lived with or visited with him. Within 6 months, it was totally gone. And it was severe when it was happening, I was worried to DEATH! Then the next thing you know, it just quit. Don't know why, had taken him to the doctor and all, but a few months later, it was just gone. So try the above, but more than that, be calm.

L. I wouldn't jump into speech therapy so soon. My youngest son had a speech problem when he is younger. He grew out of it when ever he started school with out any help from therapy. He is in first grade now talking just like everyone else. I would wait awile

I know this is very scary. My three year old started stuttering in December and I freaked out. It is alright. First, at times when children are going through a "verbal growth spurt" they tend to stutter. A verbal growth spurt would be when they are adding a lot of new words to their vocabulary. Stuttering can also be hereditary. My pediatrician recommended the following things to be done for 3 months and if at the end of three months we still had a problem then go to a speech therapist. The things to do: 1. Stop calling attention to it. Don't say things like "spit it out" or "stop Stuttering".
2. Reassure them. If you can say, "I understand what you are saying".
3. Don't correct any grammer mistakes or enuncuiation mistakes.
4. Curtail any stressfull activities like potty training.
5. Spend quiet time having meaningfu calm conversations.

Communicate these things to the boys daycare workers too.
My daughter stopped within 2 weeks of following this regiman.

Your son can be evaluated by Early Child Intervention. Your can find them on the internet. They can recommend if he needs speech therapy. I would get him evalutated. Speech therapy works best on children the younger the better.
L.

First of all, ensure adults are kneeling to their level to listen to them speak... they will feel they have your attention and you care what they say if you do. Also, give them full attention and be patient until they get out what they need to... I'm a daycare owner/director, and I'm going to assume (only assume) that in their daycare their providers need to do the same. You need to advocate for them and ensure these providers kknow the importance of them getting their full attention and not feeling they have to compete for talk time or rush what they are trying to say!!!

Aside of this home remedy, ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) sees children from birth to 3 yrs. When they turn 3, services stop and you must go to the elementary school they will attend (referred to as their Home Campus) and have them further tested to possibly receive speech therapy services from the school. Sometimes the schools send people out to the daycares or will pick up the children by bus at the daycare and return them when their speech therapy is over at school.

Your daycare center should have already suspected and referred you to these services.

Good Luck

I'm currently in a university master's program for Speech Pathology, so I can give you my advise for what it's worth.
Some suttering inconsistances are normal. Most children slowly overcome it by themselves. Please Please don't make a big deal to him. I would not worry, but if you need to put your mind at ease you can contact you local early childhood intervention ECI, the local schools should know contact information on these free services. They will give him a speech evaluation and if approved provide free service until he's 3 and then the school will take over from there. Personally, 2.5 is to early to worry. Some stuttering Inconsistencies are normal in mastering the language.
If you have any more questions please write me.
B.

A little about me
I have an almost 3.5 boy and he says 75 single words and a handful of two phrase words. He's been in therapy for over a year. Inspiried me to go get my masters and become an SLP. God spends massages in sometimes unusual ways.

Take your son to a speech therapist ASAP and have him evaluated. It is not too early to start. The younger you begin speech therapy, the easier it is to correct. My two older children went to speech therapy and they think it is fun and they are going there to play games. If you wait until they are older, then it is much more difficult to break.

I am a mom of four: 27, 25, 22 and 11. The three oldest are boys and the youngest a girl. My oldest stuttered quite a bit on through the first couple of years of grade school. I had him in speech therapy in school and quickly pulled him out after sitting in on one of the 30 minute sessions he was given out of the entire week. They told me that I shouldn't make him repeat anything. My question was "how am I supposed to understand him if he doesn't repeat?", because he stuttered so much when he was excited.
I began working more with him at home. When he would stutter, I asked him to slow down so that I could understand him. After doing this consistently for a couple of months, I noticed the stuttering began to fade. I always put the emphasis on the fact that I wanted to understand and not the stuttering itself and that was always my reason to him for wanting him to slow down his speech.
Hope this helps and keep up with it. You'll notice a difference before too long.

The UT speech and Language Lab is a great resource for stuttering questions. They have a center that evaluates and treats children and adults with stuttering difficulties. They will be able to tell you exactly what to look for and when/if you should seek further help. Courtney (not sure of last name) is the director. A phone call to them does not commit you to seeking services... it will just provide you with more information.

I always think that if you have questions about your child's development it doesn't hurt to at least call the professionals and get their opinion and then you can make an informed decision about whether or not to pursue services.

I know one of the tips they give is too slow your speech down so that you are modeling slower speech (especially if you think his mind is thinking faster than he can speak).

Hope this helps!

Dear L.,

Don't worry too much now. Just ask him to slow down when he talks. Say "sweety, i can't understand. Please slow down." This way it puts the focus on you understanding instead of your son and he wont feel so bad. My oldest son stuttered too and my mother in-law(mom of 9) gave me this same advice. It is pretty good advice. Now Nik is four and only stutters when he is really excited.
M. K

speech therapy could help.
My brother studdered allot when he was younger I guess when he hit puberty he began to grow out of it and he really didn't go to a professional speech therapist. Now this trait never effected my brothers grades. In fact every one in school adored him and he had good grades.
However I do know of someone else who didn't stop studdering until he was in his late 20s.
Now is it hereditary? Thats hard to say. My brothers son doesn't seem to studder too much but is autistic. Studdering isn't a trait that he carries. (unless he is really upset or affraid.)
And my friend had a daughter who has great speech.
Anyway hope this helps...

Get an assessment by a speech language pathologist. Early intervention is essential if there really is a problem. If there is no need diagnosed, then you will have a clean conscience.
I have a friend who said the state will come out and do a diagnosis for your child for free and if therapy is necessary, then the parents are charged on a sliding scale based on income.