Speech and language therapists also work with children and young people who stammer. Around 8% of children will start to stammer at some point. Stammering usually starts between the ages of 2 and 5 years, however it can start later, sometimes even in adulthood.
Stammering is also known as stuttering and is a difference in the way some people speak, for example there may be single sound repetition, for example, “M-m-m-m-my name is D-D-D-D-Dan”. There could also be part or whole word repetitions, “Be, be, be, because”, “Can, I, can I, can I go to the park?” Some people may also ‘strrrrreeeetch’ words or block in which words get stuck and won’t come out.
Sometimes stammering is also accompanied by other behaviours, such as tension in the face, mouth or body, blinking a lot or closing their eyes or looking away. Some children may feel out of breath and hesitate or pause before speaking. Sometimes children develop body movements such as jerking their head or neck, or tapping their feet or fingers in an attempt to help get their words out. Filler words such as ‘like, ‘um’, or ‘er’ may be used to help move into a sentence or a word they are struggling to say.
Some children may develop ways to reduce their stammer that are not obvious to others but are effortful for them, such as planning ahead and changing their words to ones they find easier to say or using a technique to help manage their stammer. Everyone’s stammer is unique and everyone stammers differently. How often a person stammers can vary, dependent on the environment or situation. Lots of people find they stammer more when they are tired, experiencing any heightened emotion or in a time pressured situation.
For most children, stammering will be temporary and may stop naturally. However some will continue stammering into adulthood. Usually, the longer someone has been stammering, the more likely it is to continue. Currently we don’t know which children will continue to stammer and who will stop.
There are several ways in which a speech therapist can support a child or young person who stammers to help reduce the struggle to speak, this may be indirectly through parents, nursery or school, or through direct therapy approaches based on individual need. Should you have any concerns about your child stammering please contact the department and complete a referral.
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