“When should I be concerned about stuttering?”
My son is stuttering. He is 5 years old. Is it normal? When should I be concerned about stuttering?
3 Answers
At 5 years of age, I would recommend a stuttering evaluation. On average between 5-6 years of age, stuttering is no longer considered developmental in nature.
Dear Concerned Parent,
Here is some very helpful information from The Stuttering Foundation. If you have any questions, contact a licensed Speech Language Pathologist, or ask the Speech Therapist at your child's school about your concerns.
* Family history
There is now strong evidence that almost half of all children who stutter have a family member who stutters. The risk that your child is actually stuttering instead of just having normal disfluencies increases if that family member is still stuttering. There is less risk if the family member outgrew stuttering as a child.
* Age at onset
Children who begin stuttering before age 3 1/2 are more likely to outgrow stuttering; if your child begins stuttering before age 3, there is a much better chance she will outgrow it within 6 months.
* Time since onset
Between 75% and 80% of all children who begin stuttering will begin to show improvement within 12 to 24 months without speech therapy. If your child has been stuttering longer than 6 months, or if the stuttering has worsened, he may be less likely to outgrow it on his own.
* Gender
Girls are more likely than boys to outgrow stuttering. In fact, three to four boys continue to stutter for every girl who stutters. Why this difference? First, it appears that during early childhood, there are innate differences between boys' and girls' speech and language abilities. Second, during this same period, parents, family members, and others often react to boys somewhat differently than girls. Therefore, it may be that more boys stutter than girls because of basic differences in boys' speech and language abilities and differences in their interactions with others. That being said, many boys who begin stuttering will outgrow the problem. What is important for you to remember is that if your child is stuttering right now, it doesn't necessarily mean he or she will stutter the rest of his or her life.
* Other speech and language factors
A child who speaks clearly with few, if any, speech errors would be more likely to outgrow stuttering than a child whose speech errors make him difficult to understand. If your child makes frequent speech errors such as substituting one sound for another or leaving sounds out of words, or has trouble following directions, you should be more concerned. The most recent findings dispel previous reports that children who begin stuttering have, as a group, lower language skills. On the contrary, there are indications that they are well within the norms or above. Advanced language skills appear to be even more of a risk factor for children whose stuttering persists3.
https://www.stutteringhelp.org/risk-factors
[https://www.stutteringhelp.org/sites/default/files/pictures/RiskFactors_0.jpg]<https://www.stutteringhelp.org/risk-factors>
Risk Factors | Stuttering Foundation: A Nonprofit Organization Helping Those Who Stutter<https://www.stutteringhelp.org/risk-factors>
Alan Rabinowitz, Ph.D., who passed away in 2018, was an explorer, wildlife conservationist, and author.He established the Hukawng Valley Tiger Reserve in northern Myanmar, which is about the size of the state of Vermont. His love for animals began when he was very young.
www.stutteringhelp.org
Debra Beckman, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
Beckman & Associates, Inc
Here is some very helpful information from The Stuttering Foundation. If you have any questions, contact a licensed Speech Language Pathologist, or ask the Speech Therapist at your child's school about your concerns.
* Family history
There is now strong evidence that almost half of all children who stutter have a family member who stutters. The risk that your child is actually stuttering instead of just having normal disfluencies increases if that family member is still stuttering. There is less risk if the family member outgrew stuttering as a child.
* Age at onset
Children who begin stuttering before age 3 1/2 are more likely to outgrow stuttering; if your child begins stuttering before age 3, there is a much better chance she will outgrow it within 6 months.
* Time since onset
Between 75% and 80% of all children who begin stuttering will begin to show improvement within 12 to 24 months without speech therapy. If your child has been stuttering longer than 6 months, or if the stuttering has worsened, he may be less likely to outgrow it on his own.
* Gender
Girls are more likely than boys to outgrow stuttering. In fact, three to four boys continue to stutter for every girl who stutters. Why this difference? First, it appears that during early childhood, there are innate differences between boys' and girls' speech and language abilities. Second, during this same period, parents, family members, and others often react to boys somewhat differently than girls. Therefore, it may be that more boys stutter than girls because of basic differences in boys' speech and language abilities and differences in their interactions with others. That being said, many boys who begin stuttering will outgrow the problem. What is important for you to remember is that if your child is stuttering right now, it doesn't necessarily mean he or she will stutter the rest of his or her life.
* Other speech and language factors
A child who speaks clearly with few, if any, speech errors would be more likely to outgrow stuttering than a child whose speech errors make him difficult to understand. If your child makes frequent speech errors such as substituting one sound for another or leaving sounds out of words, or has trouble following directions, you should be more concerned. The most recent findings dispel previous reports that children who begin stuttering have, as a group, lower language skills. On the contrary, there are indications that they are well within the norms or above. Advanced language skills appear to be even more of a risk factor for children whose stuttering persists3.
https://www.stutteringhelp.org/risk-factors
[https://www.stutteringhelp.org/sites/default/files/pictures/RiskFactors_0.jpg]<https://www.stutteringhelp.org/risk-factors>
Risk Factors | Stuttering Foundation: A Nonprofit Organization Helping Those Who Stutter<https://www.stutteringhelp.org/risk-factors>
Alan Rabinowitz, Ph.D., who passed away in 2018, was an explorer, wildlife conservationist, and author.He established the Hukawng Valley Tiger Reserve in northern Myanmar, which is about the size of the state of Vermont. His love for animals began when he was very young.
www.stutteringhelp.org
Debra Beckman, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
Beckman & Associates, Inc
Terlenda Lassiter
Speech-Language Pathologist
The severity of stuttering in your son should be determined with a direct fluency assessment from a speech language pathologist in your area. While some children literally grow out of stuttering behaviors, some can have it persist. Early intervention is key so whether he has a fluency disorder or not, he can still learn to be an effective communicator with the early services of a speech language pathologist. Make sure the one you choose has experience with pediatric stuttering.
