Stuttering in Children

Stuttering can significantly impact a child’s quality of life, causing social isolation and educational difficulties. Mount Alvernia Hospital’s senior speech therapist Thow Mei Kuen shares how parents can spot the onset of stuttering and what they can do about it.

While people who stutter in movies or on TV are often portrayed as comedic characters, it is no laughing matter for a child struggling with this speech disorder.

Children who stutter may become targets of bullying or teasing from classmates, which can significantly affect their self-esteem and confidence.

“They may become withdrawn and avoid situations where they need to speak, resulting in them participating less in group activities, and hesitating to ask questions in class,” explains senior speech therapist Thow Mei Kuen.

Ms Thow adds, “All these challenges can contribute to low self-confidence and negatively affect the child’s academic performance. Therefore, it is crucial for parents to nip the problem in the bud.”

How does a stutter develop?

Stuttering is a fluency disorder that disrupts the flow of speech. Put simply, the child knows what to say but struggles to get the words out. The onset of stuttering is sudden, uncontrollable and can occur unpredictably.

Did You Know?

Stuttering affects males more than females, with a ratio of approximately 4:1.

Adults may recognise moments in their own speech, when they start using filler words such as “erm” or “you know”, repeating words or phrases, or hesitating with long pauses while thinking of what to say. All these are known as disfluencies, says Ms Thow.

Toddlers, between the ages of two and five, commonly experience disfluencies, some with stuttering. While most overcome this spontaneously, a small percentage may continue to stutter into adulthood if the issue is left unaddressed.

What are the warning signs to look out for?

Parents should look out for signs that the child may be developing a stutter and monitor the situation. While not possible to predict if a child can outgrow stuttering on their own, the earlier one intervenes, preferably before they start school, the better chances of recovery.

Here are some key warning signs that should prompt parents to seek professional help:

• Stuttering persists for more than six to 12 months.
• The child has a family history of stuttering.
• The stuttering worsens, and the child starts exhibiting signs of facial and body muscle tension when speaking.

“Once your child falls within the above red flags, a wait-and-see approach is not effective as the consequences of persistent stuttering will impact the child negatively,” Ms Thow advises.

Signs of Stuttering

• Repetition of sounds (“I want c-c-c-c-car”), words (“I want want want car”), or parts of a word (“I want ca-ca-carry”)
• Prolongation of sounds (“I want the ssssssssame car”)
• Adding sounds (“Mummy uh uh carry uh uh uh me”)
• Blocks or pauses (“I want [pause] car”). The child may be trying to enunciate, but a blockage of airflow renders the child unable to produce the sound, although he knows what to say.
• Physical or struggling behaviors such as facial or body tension

Stuttering Myths vs Truths

• Myth Stuttering is caused by nervousness
• Truth Stuttering is a speech disorder with no single cause. Nervousness can exacerbate it, but it is not the root cause.
• Myth A child can outgrow stuttering without intervention.
• Truth While some children may outgrow stuttering, early intervention significantly increases the chances of recovery
• Myth People who stutter are less intelligent
• Truth Stuttering has no relation to intelligence. It is a speech fluency issue, not a cognitive one.

How can parents provide support at home?

Parents can also support their stuttering child at home in several ways:

• Model slower speech: Speak slowly yourself rather than instructing the child to slow down. Focus on what they want to say, not how they say it.
• Stay calm: Be mindful not to show frustration, and refrain from interrupting or finishing their sentences.
• Create a calm environment: Stress and high activity levels can increase disfluency, so try to keep the home environment relaxed.
• Incorporate singing: Children are rarely disfluent when they sing. Engage them in nursery rhymes and singalong games to encourage fluency.

Ms Thow sums it up, “Parents play a central role in the successful treatment of stuttering in young children. How parents respond to the stuttering child can either mitigate or aggravate the disorder.”

Our speech therapist at Mount Alvernia Hospital addresses a range of language and speech disorders in both adults and children. You can contact the Rehabilitation Centre at 6347 6203 or 6347 6365 to find out more!

This article is taken from our MyAlvernia Magazine Issue #53. Click here to read the issue on our website.