Stuttering

[hopefloats]

My 4 year old daughter occasionally stutters. Specifically, becoming stuck on one word eg " and and and " or " and then and then and then" It seems to happen in conversations where she is recalling the event or is making up an imaginative story like at bedtime. Should I be concerned? Or will she grow out of the stuttering? I don't correct her as I don't want her to feel self conscious. I pause before answering and use active listening skills. It doesn't always occur in her speech although I wondered if it was something to be concerned about?
Any suggestions?

[SpeechPaths]

Hi hopefloats,

Thanks for your question about childhood stuttering. I'm going to provide a bit of background information on stuttering (also seen on a previous post of mine under this same topic) to help answer some of your questions.

Stuttering is a communication disorder where the natural flow of speech is disrupted by repetitions (like-like-like this), blocks or stoppages (l_____ike this, where no sound comes out) and prolongations (lllllllike this). Some children (about 5%) go through a period of stuttering as their language develops, and the majority of these children will recover by late childhood. Early intervention is the best prevention tool.

The Stuttering Foundation at http://www.stutteringhelp.org/ is also an excellent resource for tips and information about stuttering.

Your child may be at higher risk of persistent stuttering if:
- you have a family member who stutters
- stuttering began after 3 and a half years of age
- stuttering has lasted longer than 6-12 months
- you have other speech and or language concerns

If you answered yes to any of the above 'warning bells,' I would suggest speaking with a Speech-Language Pathologist. We don't want children to begin avoiding words or talking situations. We also don't want to wait for children to develop anxiety or frustration about talking. Like anything difficult that your child might be going through, it's best to be open and honest when talking with him or her. It sounds like you're providing a supportive environment by using active listening and not adding communication pressure.

As your daughter is 4 years old, you may wish to access tykeTALK, which is a provincially funded preschool speech and language initiative. Welcome to tykeTALK.com

Best,

Brittany Rickard
Speech-Language Pathologist, Reg. CASLPO
Rejuvenate Health Services | 2386 Main Street | London, Ontario | (519) 652-0740