DD has started stuttering at age 3

[amberprincess]

My daughter has always had good language skills and is a bright child. She's at nursery full time and gets a lot of social interaction/conversation with kids her own age as well as adults. However she has started stuttering at the beginning of sentences. I am not even sure it's a stutter :/ For example, "I I I I want to go to the toilet" or "A A A A Shall we have dinner?"
So far I've avoided correcting her or pointing it out because I don't want to make an "issue" out of it - but it's been going on for two months now and I am slightly worried.
Any advice greatly appreciated x

Get a transfer to a SLT. (a lot of places you can do it yourself)
Lots of children have dyslfluency (covers far more than just a stammer/stutter). It has nothing to do with lexicon or brightness or social skills (thought as a slightly older child can effect social skills - but we wont get into that)

Sorry that probably sounds scary.

It is probably nothing to worry about but for yourself it doesn't do any harm and if anything will give you some reassurance.

Also you are doing the right thing about not correcting her etc. Occassionly if she gets very very stuck it is alright to say 'that is a hard one isn't it, shall we say it together?' if you think it is correct in that situation. oh and (i don't know if this applies to your DD) if she is getting particularly stuck one day don't necissarily make her say things - the expectation and pressure to say specific words can add more stess to someone and so can become very distressed. (you haven't mentioned if she is becomeing distressed with it - eg getting upset angry with herself when it happens touching her mouth, covering it up when she gets stuck)
Keep a little track of it write the points she displays it down (not word fro word) but maybe how bad you thought it was 1-10. Eg you may find when lots of people around and she is excited it appears to get worse and happen more frequently.

Hope that helps. And I am probably discribing someone with moderate to severe Disfluency (I only have experience with very severe)

My dd developed a stutter too when she was nearly three. The speech pathologist said it was a very normal time for a child to get a stutter and that it would probably disappear within a few months. She gave us some "slowing down" type of exercise....sorry can't remember exactly what. Lots on as I was moving countries and had a young baby. Anyway after about 4 months or so it disappeared as quickly as it came. Hope this helps!