Stuttering in Toddlers and Preschoolers: What is Typical and When to be Concerned

Between the ages of 2 and 6 children learn so much language! Their brain is experiencing a period of growth and learning. Sometimes, as young children begin to become more verbal, parents might notice they have a hard time getting out what they want to say! 
 
As a parent, it can be difficult to tell what is typical development and when to be more concerned. 
 
It is common for young children to have disfluencies in their speech. Between the ages of 2 1/2 to 5 it is likely children will be disfluent at some point in their development. It is also common for children to go back and forth between periods of fluency and disfluency. During this time, children are learning new words and speech sounds rapidly! Their language is becoming more complex every day and this period of learning may also come with some typical disfluencies. 
 
Typical disfluencies that are not stuttering: 
⁃ adding a sound or word called an interjection - “I um need to go home” 
⁃ Repeating whole words - “cookies cookies and milk” 
⁃ Repeating phrases - “he is - he is four years old” 
⁃ changing words in a sentence called revision - “I had - I lost my tooth” 
⁃ Not finishing a thought - “his name is…I can’t remember” 
 
Disfluencies that happen when someone is truly stuttering: 
⁃ Part-word repetitions - “I w-w-w-want a drink” 
⁃ One syllable word repetition- “Go-go-go away” 
⁃ Prolonged sounds - “Sssssssam is nice” 
⁃ Blocks or stops - “I want a (long pause) cookie” - they may seem stuck or like their mouth is searching for the word 
 
People who stutter may also show other characteristics such as 
⁃ Eye blinking 
⁃ Head nodding 
⁃ Avoiding certain words or phrases 
⁃ Frustration and other feelings such as an increase in stuttering when excited or upset 
 
If you think your child is truly stuttering, reach out for help from one of our SLPs as soon as possible. Contact a professional if any of the following things are true: 
⁃ Your child’s stuttering has lasted for 6-12 months or more 
⁃ Your child starts to show the above stuttering disfluencies after 3.5 years old 
⁃ Your child starts to stutter more often 
⁃ Your child tenses up or struggles when talking 
⁃ Your child avoids talking or says it is too hard to talk 
⁃ There is a family history of stuttering 
 
Treatment For Preschool Children Who Stutter 

For preschool children, treatment may include the use of direct or indirect strategies. 
• Direct strategies help your child change how they speak. 
• Indirect strategies are ways to help make it easier for your child to talk. These strategies can include slowing down your own speech and asking fewer questions.  
 
You are an important part of your child's treatment. Our SLPs can help you learn more about how to respond when your child stutters and what to do to improve how your child feels about talking. ProActive is here to help your child THRIVE!