Stuttering: Separating Fact from Fear

Few things make parents more anxious than watching their child suddenly start to stutter. It can feel like it came out of nowhere, and the internet doesn't always help. Here's what's actually true.

It's more common than you think

Around 5-10% of children go through a period of stuttering at some point, usually between ages 2 and 5, right when language is developing fastest. For many kids, this is a normal, temporary part of language development.

Not all stuttering needs treatment

Some disfluency (repeating sounds, words, or phrases; getting "stuck") is typical as kids learn to organise increasingly complex thoughts into sentences. What we watch for is whether it's mild and inconsistent, or more frequent, tense, and persistent.

Signs worth having evaluated

Stuttering lasting more than six months, visible tension or struggle in the face or body while talking, avoidance of talking or certain words, a family history of stuttering, or the child showing frustration or awareness of their stuttering are all good reasons to get an evaluation.

What NOT to do

Please don't tell your child to "slow down" or "take a breath" every time they stutter. It's well-intentioned, but it tends to draw more attention to the stutter and can increase self-consciousness. The best thing you can do is keep eye contact, let them finish their thought, and respond to what they said, not how they said it.

The bottom line

An early evaluation isn't an overreaction, and it doesn't mean your child is destined to stutter for life. It just means you'll have real information and, if needed, a plan, instead of a lot of Googling at 11pm.