Raising
the Questions
Q How old is your child and when did
your child begin to stutter?
A
If your child is between 18 months and 4 years old,
you've probably heard at least a few examples of stuttering:
the repetition of fillers like "er" or "um,"
the first syllables of words, such as "te-te-te-ddy bear;"
or the prolongation of the first sounds of words, such as "MMMMommy."
Nine out of 10 children learning to talk experience these normal
speech interruptions. Speech professionals consider them a normal
part of learning to talk, just as children normally stumble and
fall while learning to walk.
While early stuttering usually disappears on its own, in a
few children it continues or worsens, requiring therapy. Most
children who stutter began before their fifth birthday. Stuttering
rarely appears after age five, and almost no one starts to stutter
after age 12 except as the result of a severe head injury.
Q
Is stuttering gender-related?
Is it hereditary?
It is not known why boys are three to four times as likely
to stutter as girls. Close relatives of children who stutter
are also about three times as likely to stutter as are strangers.
Q
Do you think you did something that caused your child's
stuttering?
A Scientists
have not yet discovered what causes stuttering. But they know
this: contrary to popular myth, stuttering does not stem from
poor parenting, neurosis or emotional trauma.
To further understand stuttering, researchers are currently
investigating the complex interactions of brain, feelings and
muscles that result in speech. In one study, researchers looked
at the sets of muscles that surround the voice box and control
normal speech. They discovered that during stuttering two sets
of muscles that should first contract and then relax were contracting
at the same time in a sort of tug of war. In people who stutter,
scientists also found unusually high levels of activity in the
tongue muscle, but they can't say whether this muscle tension
caused stuttering or resulted from it. Experts do know that children
rarely stutter when they whisper, talk to themselves or their
pet, or sing.
Q
Does your child stutter more often now than before?
How consistently?
A You
needn't be unduly concerned if your young child stutters once
in a while, or if stuttering disappears in a preschool child
after a short time. Simply observe the "Do's and Don'ts
for Talking to Your Child" at the end of this brochure.
Plan to supplement your own efforts with professional help
from a speech therapist if you notice that:
- your child started stuttering after age five
- the stuttering persists or worsens
- your child has developed secondary reactions to stuttering,
such as tremors around the mouth or jaw; a rise in pitch or loudness;
signs of struggle or tension in the lips, tongue, throat or chest;
fear or crying; long pauses or avoiding speech.
Seek a therapist who holds certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association. Some states require speech therapists to hold licenses
as well. But beyond certification and licensure, a competent
therapist should have experience working with children who stutter.
For a referral, call your pediatrician, local hospital, area
university or college with a training program in speech pathology
or contact one of the organizations listed in this brochure.
If your child is quite young, and stuttering has not continued
for too long, your own guidance or a few sessions with a therapist
will probably be enough to reverse the stuttering. But if your
child has established a pattern of stuttering, you will need
outside help.
Within a few weeks of beginning therapy, your young child
should gradually show signs of improvement: more relaxation and
increased enjoyment while talking. If after a month or more of
therapy your child continues to struggle to speak or avoids speech,
you may need to seek further advice or another approach.
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