What Is Stuttering? A Guide for Parents

Your child starts a sentence and gets stuck: "m-m-mummy", "I want, I want, I want a biscuit", or nothing comes out for a moment. Then the question arises: what is stuttering, and is this it? This article explains what stuttering looks like, why many young children go through a bumpy phase, when to see a speech therapist and how you can listen as a parent.

This article is for information. It does not give a diagnosis. LogiLand is practice software for home, not stuttering treatment and not a patient record.

What is stuttering?

Stuttering is a disruption of the flow of speech. The speaker knows exactly what they want to say, but the words do not come out smoothly. There are three main forms, and they often mix:

• Repetitions. A sound, syllable or word comes back several times: "ba-ba-ball" or "I I I want".
• Prolongations. A sound is stretched out: "sssssoup".
• Blocks. The mouth is ready, but for a moment no sound comes. You may see tension in the face or shoulders.

Some children also show extra movements, such as blinking, looking away or a head movement when a word gets stuck. Stuttering can vary from day to day. A day with many stumbles can be followed by a week where it hardly shows. That is part of it and says little about anything you did.

Stuttering says nothing about intelligence, and it does not come from poor parenting or nervousness. It is a speech difficulty with its own course. How it starts is still not fully understood.

A bumpy phase or stuttering?

Between about two and five years, a child's language grows very fast. Children want to say more and more, and their mouths sometimes lag behind their thoughts. You may hear a word said twice, a sentence restarted or a filler like "um" more often. Relaxed repetitions like these are common and are part of learning to talk.

In some children this phase passes by itself. In others the stumbling stays and grows into stuttering. From the outside you cannot tell which way it will go. That is why it is wise to watch for signs such as:

• the stumbling has lasted more than a few months;
• there are many repetitions of sounds or syllables, or prolongations and blocks;
• you see tension, a rising pitch or physical effort when talking;
• your child gets frustrated, feels embarrassed or talks less;
• stuttering runs in the family.

One of these signs does not mean something is wrong. It is a reason to have someone take a look.

When to see a speech therapist

You do not have to wait until you are sure. A speech therapist can hear your child talk, discuss with you what is going on and advise whether support is needed or whether watching and looking again later is enough. You can go through your GP or directly. Read more about choosing the moment in our article on when to see a speech therapist.

Book an appointment in any case if:

• the stumbling lasts longer than a few months;
• your child visibly struggles to talk;
• your child would rather stay silent or starts avoiding words;
• you are worried. That is a good reason in itself.

Looking early costs little. If it turns out to be a false alarm, you have peace of mind. If there is something, you can start sooner.

Listening without rushing

As a parent you want to help, especially when your child visibly gets stuck. Most of the help is in how you listen. A few starting points:

• Let your child finish the sentence. Do not fill in words or guess what is coming, even when you suspect it. Your child keeps the feeling that talking is theirs to do.
• Look at your child and wait. A calm look and a few seconds of silence say: I have time.
• Speak at an ordinary, relaxed pace yourself. Children pick up a lot from the pace at home. A short pause before you answer helps.
• Respond to what your child says, and leave how it sounds alone. Answering the content shows that the message matters.
• Avoid remarks like "slow down", "think first" or "take a breath". They are well meant, but your child feels they are doing something wrong.
• Do not turn home into a test. Do not ask your child to repeat or start again after a stumble.
• Give every child in the family room. No interruptions at the table and taking turns make it easier for everyone.

These are not exercises and not treatment. It is a way of listening that takes pressure away. A programme of speech techniques belongs with a speech therapist who knows your child.

Stuttering and cluttering

Stuttering is sometimes confused with cluttering. In stuttering, the speaker knows what they want to say and the speech gets stuck. In cluttering, a person often talks fast, unclearly or in a jumble and is less aware of it. Read more in our article on what is cluttering. A speech therapist can assess what is going on with your child, because the two can also occur together.

Where does LogiLand fit?

LogiLand is practice software with games for language and speech sounds, meant for repetition at home between appointments. It does not treat stuttering and does not give a diagnosis. If your child sees a speech therapist, you can ask whether games at home would add anything. For general ideas on playing with language, see speech therapy exercises for a 4-year-old.

Conclusion

Stumbling speech is a phase for many young children, and for some it is the start of stuttering. You do not need to be able to tell the difference yourself. Listen calmly, let your child finish, and ask a speech therapist to take a look if the stumbling stays or if you are unsure.

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Important: this article is for information and does not replace advice from a GP, child health doctor or speech therapist. LogiLand is practice software for repetition between appointments, not a diagnosis, not stuttering treatment and not an electronic patient record.