5 year old 'stuttering' when speaking - sentences taking FOREVER to get out

[Enid]

I am getting a bit concerned about dd1's speech. She is a clever, bright girl but her speech is getting increasingly difficult - for example, yesterday in the bath she was telling dh about being caught in the rain and her sentence went like this:
"Daddy, we we we (repeated approx 7 times) got, um, um, um, um (looks at me for reassurance - me: "caught") caught in the, in the, in the, um, um rain"

it is much rarer for her to complete a sentence properly than to 'stammer' in this way.

The ultimate mumsnet question now - is this, erm, 'normal'?

[astonished]

I have no advice to offer Enid but my DS almost four does exactly the same and it has been concerning me. All that i have spoken too echo Pamina's advice about the brain working so quick. I am no expert but I think I would be more concerned if it was stuttering with the pronunciation of words, getting stuck on the first letter etc. Have your Dd's school expressed any concern, if not perhaps you should bring it up with them?

[suedonim]

Dd2 has been through a stammering phase and in fact, your post brings it all back. It began when she was about 3-ish (she was a late talker). It definitely got worse whenever something big happened in her life and would almost disappear inbetween times - have you made any such observation? It would take a-a-a-ages for her to complete a sentence.

I don't think she's done it for about a year now (she's nine). Instead, nowadays her tales get longer and longer and if she's telling us about a book or a film her plot is longer then the actual event! Ime, stammering does eventually disappear but I think to be on the safe side it's best to get it checked out.

[Kayleigh]

My ds1 has gone through stammering phases since his first bad episode at the age of almost three when our potty training attempts went haywire. Since then i have noticed if unhappy or under pressure he stammers. These phases can last days or weeks. He is almost 7 now and last phase was maybe a year ago.

If i can find my old thread on this i will post a link.

[Enid]

I suppose I am a bit worried as she is 5.5 and it seems to be happening a LOT.

her school noticed that she had a problem with some 'sounds' in her first term but nothing since then.

She is a bit stressed at the moment (although I don't know why) so I suppose that could be contributing to it

[Enid]

Thanks kayleigh that would be helpful

[Gobbledigook]

My friends ds1 did this a lot last year when he was between 3 and 4 and it seemed quite strongly linked to 'stress' - he's a very sensitive little boy and last year they moved house to a rented house and then again to their new house and I think he was very unsettled by this. My friend took him to a speech therapist about it but they also said it was almost certainly linked to this stress and sure enough, a while after being in the new (and final!) house his speech was back to normal.

You say dd is 'stressed' so perhaps this is contributing? I would still get it checked out though just for peace of mind.

[Enid]

yes we are having an extension built and the house is chaos, she is also working very very hard at school apparently and for some reason losing two teeth has thrown her a bit too.

[juniperdewdrop]

Could you get her to draw/paint how she is feeling?

[Kayleigh]

there were a couple of threads here and here with some good advice. The ones I was on were actually potty training ones where I was advising not to pressurise because of my son developing his stammer.

[JoolsToo]

this sounds just like dd at that age - drove us nuts - we just used to say 'sloooooooow down' she was always a chatterer and we put it down to over excitedness and it did pass.

She'll still talk a glass eye to sleep though!

[roisin]

My ds1 went through a phase of stammering at this age, he was having SALT at the time for articulation problems, and her advice was:
Don't comment on it all, as this will make him more self conscious about it
Don't attempt to finish his sentences for him (no matter how frustrating]
Wait patiently and without getting stressed
Respond to the statement/enquiry/speech as though it had been delivered 'normally'
He will suddenly come through it
He did!

Ds2 (nearly 6) doesn't stammer, but he does start nearly every sentence with:
"Mummy, guess what?" or "Mummy did you know?"
Me: What?
Him: Erm I erm [LONG pause for about 2 minutes] ...
I'm hoping he will snap out of it very soon.

[Enid]

great advice roisin thanks - she does that too (the erm mum erm erm thing )

havent read the threads yet Kayleigh but will later thanks

[Enid]

juniper will try that thanks

[honeybunny]

How bizarre, Enid, that ds2 has just started doing the same thing. I'm hoping its just a phase too. I notice it most when all of us are together and he's trying to get his voice heard above the melee. Then when he gets our attention he "stammers" the words out. He seems fine when we are one to one. Its also more noticeable at the end of the day, fatigue maybe? I'll read on with interest. Hope it sorts itself out soon, and that extn should be finished any day now shouldnt it?

[Enid]

oh god hb, hope its not a family trait

extension finished end May according to builders.

[floppsy]

MY dd2 has started the same,but i keep saying'take your time'or 'im not listening until you stop stuttering'but seems im doing totally the wrong thing will try ignoring her see how it goes.Interesting thread thanks.

[highlander]

my nephew had this problem at age 2-3 - he had speech therapy before starting school. My sis had to do exercises with him for 30 mins every day.
It's too serious to try and sort out yourself.