Stuttering

My Jamison stutters. I read that it is common for kids, more so for boys, to stutter between the ages of 2-4. The theory is that they are so excited to use their words that they get caught up on a word, tha the thoughts come faster than the words. According to what I read, they also grow out of it. Well, I have noticed that he has been stuttering more. I was wondering if anyone has had experience with this? Are there any suggestions of things I can do to help him work out the words??

 

Brandon does a little, it's almost always the first word in a sentence he's trying to get out.
He does it for a while and then I don't hear it much for a few months, then I hear it again.
This is why I'm not concerned, it's not at all consistent.

I tell him to slow down and I get near him, face to face so he knows he can slow down and has my full attention.

 

One of my sons began stuttering at age 3. He displayed many of the "danger signs" (he squeezed his eyes shut and tensed up his face in order to get sounds out -- they would finally come out as a yell) and we eventually took his to a speech therapist who helped tremendously. He's been in speech therapy for 3 years now and is doing great. He only stutters now when he's very tired or very stressed.

Lots of pediatricians will say not to worry before age 5, but we took our son in early because at 3 he was not self-conscious about the stuttering. He was frustrated and it upset him, but he wasn't embarrassed about it. We wanted him to get speech therapy BEFORE it started affecting his sense of self and he started school (with the whole terrifying prospect of school yard teasing).

Stuttering is very common in young children. Most of the time it's simply a matter of the brain working faster than the mouth can, especially when the child is tired or in a stressful situation (like a crowded party, preschool, a lively dinner), and the dysfluency (stuttering) will clear up on it's own within a few weeks or months.

Because the longer a child has been stuttering, the less likely he is to stop, it's important to figure out whether your son is experiencing normal dysfluencies or something more serious.

Normal disfluencies are repetitions of whole words and phrases (like Amanda's son), false starts and revisions in their sentences, and frequent interjections of uh’s and um’s.

Of much more concern are the following types of disfluencies, which can be considered danger signs that a stuttering pattern is developing:

* Frequent syllable or sound repetitions ("bi-bi-bi-bicycle" or "t-t-t-t-time")
* Substitution of a weak vowel (called the schwa vowel) for the true vowel in a repeated syllable ("buh-buh-buh-bicycle")
* Prolongation of sounds ("mmmmmmmmama")
* Tremors in the small muscles around the mouth, eyes or jaw as the child tries to say a word on which he seems to be stuck
* Visible signs of struggle and tension when a child blocks on a word (e.g., squeezing the eyes shut, rapidly blinking, distorting the position of the mouth, tongue or jaw)
* A rise in pitch or loudness level on sounds being prolonged or repeated


Here are some do’s and don’ts in interacting with a stuttering child:

Do:

* Allow the child time to get his thoughts expressed, regardless of his repetitions and revisions.
* Look at the child when he is talking to you and demonstrate your interest in what he is saying, not how he is saying it. Pause for a moment after he's finished, and repeat back what he said to you slowly and calmly.
* Keep the child interested in talking by making speech fun and rewarding (use songs, rhymes, games involving speech, etc.).
* Model a calm, slow manner of talking and try to convey a reassuring, unhurried manner when talking with the child.
* Minimize stress and anxiety provoking situations at home and at school.
* Become aware of any patterns or circumstances that seem related to a child’s stuttering and modify them if possible.
* Convey understanding, acceptance and reassurance if a child expresses concern about his stuttering.


Don’t:

* Finish a sentence or word for him because you know what he is trying to say.
* Give the impression that you are alarmed or disappointed because of his stuttering.
* Force a child to speak or recite before strangers or visitors.
* Point out to the child that he is stuttering, tell him to "stop stuttering" or ask him to "say it again without stuttering."
* Give suggestions that require the child to do something before he speaks, such as "Stop and think about what you want to say before you say it," or "Take a deep breath and try it again."
* Suggest that the child substitute an "easy" word for a word he is having trouble saying.
* Let stuttering become an excuse to avoid responsibilities.
* Allow anyone to tease or mock a child about his stuttering.

One thing we did in our house was put a big emphasis on taking turns talking. No interrupting when someone is speaking. With excited twins, that's HARD, but it's been worth all the work. An easy way around that is to make time to spend alone with each kid. Whether that means taking only one with you to the grocery store, or reading a story in another room with one kid. That was not only great for my son's stuttering, but also really nice for me to get to spend that kind of time, no matter how short, with just one child at a time.

If your son is displaying any of the "danger signs" look in to getting speech therapy for him. You might want to wait 6 months or so to be sure that it's not just a phase. Most likely, he will move through this phase in a few weeks/months, but if you are concerned, I highly recommend having him evaluated. If only to reassure yourself that all is well.

Hope this helps. Feel free to send me a message if you have more questions

 

Thank you very much for that information!!! very useful.

I am not super concerned yet because I know it is common...good to know what to look for!

Thanks again!

 

excellent post Ellen!

LOVE the avatar!

 

I am so glad Ellen was able to pass on such great info for you, I am sure it will be very helpful!!

I just want to stress (from experience) how important it is to have the child evaluated to determine if it is a normal dysfluency or something that might be more long term. I was so confused about this issue before our middle son began speech therapy (about a year ago). Also, even if it is a "normal dysfluency", there is so much that can help right at home. It was great to learn techniques that we can implement on our own.

Anyway, the evaluations are free and speech services are usually covered (by insurance or by the state)...good luck!