Risk Factors for Stuttering:
There are other risk factors that can help predict whether fluency problems will continue for longer than a few months.
- Family historyis the biggest predictor of whether a child is likely to stutter.
- Gender. Young boys are twice as likely as young girls to stutter, and elementary school-age boys are 3 to 4 times more likely to stutter than girls.
- Age of onset. Children that start having difficulties at age 4 are more likely to have a persistent stutter than those who begin stuttering at a younger age.
- Co-existingspeech and/or language disordersincrease the likelihood a child may stutter.
Getting Help:
If you are concerned about your child’s speech, talk with your pediatrician about getting a speech and language evaluation. A complete evaluation from a certified speech-language pathologist can help you to better determine if the stuttering is likely to persist.
Speech-language pathologists will help parents determine the best course of action (e.g., closely monitoring the child’s fluency, enrolling in treatment services, and/or parent education). The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) offers a searchable database of these professionals. In addition, a list of clinicians who specialize in stuttering can be found here.
Treatment Approaches for Stuttering:
Early treatment for stuttering is very important, as it is more likely to be eliminated when a child is young (before entering elementary school). There are two main treatment approaches for stuttering:
- Indirect treatment is when the speech-language pathologist helps the child’s parents on how to modify their own communication styles. Indirect approaches are effective at reducing or even eliminating stuttering in many young children.
- Direct treatment involves the speech-language pathologist working with the children themselves either one-on-one or in small groups, giving them specific speech strategies for easing into words and reducing tension during stuttering events. In addition, direct treatment may involve helping the child to differentiate between smooth (fluent) and bumpy (stuttered) speech.
After age 7, it becomes unlikely that stuttering will go away completely. Still, after age 7, treatment can be very effective at helping a child effectively manage stuttering—helping develop skills necessary to handle difficult situations (e.g., teasing and bullying) and participate fully in school and activities. For older children, speech treatment is still beneficial, encouraged, and effective in helping to reduce the severity and impact of stuttering.
Last Updated 12/27/2016
Source Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Pediatrics and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
