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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

starting to stutter

24 replies

kilmuir · 02/05/2012 13:17

My nearly 4 yr old ds has started to stutter. usually at the start of a sentence and tends to be words starting with a ' C'. do you think it will pass, when do i need to worry

OP posts:

RationalBrain · 02/05/2012 13:20

Don't worry at all. It's a completely normal part of development that comes and goes throughout childhood. It's like the speech centre is struggling to keep up with the thoughts in the head. It happens especially with bright children .

Best thing to do is make no comment, give them your complete attention, and let them finish the word by themselves (don't feel tempted to say it for them). It can take a lot of patience!

Original poster

kilmuir · 02/05/2012 13:25

thanks, yes it is so tempting to say the word for him!

OP posts:

RationalBrain · 02/05/2012 13:33

Forgot to say - my stammering is also affected by tiredness. Both me and my brother stammered hugely as children, neither of us do anymore, except when we are absolutely shattered. So maybe its growth spurt time for your DS, or he needs more lie-ins etc (if there is ever any chance of a lie-in!).

ThePsychicSatsuma · 05/08/2012 19:39

have ressurected this thread as now my 6yo dd has started to stutter; it's very hard to hear, she gets upset with herself and I don't know at what point to worry.

OP did your ds stop stuttering? dd gets so she can't 'speak' the words they get stuck in her mouth IYSWIM Im unsure if it's a reading thing.
she's done it a lot over past 2 weeks - the summer hols, really.

SilveryMoon · 05/08/2012 19:42

My ds2 has recently started stuttering with words beginning with K sound.
It's normally "k-k-k-k-can I have an apple?"
Or something like that.
Ds2 is 3.6yrs.
I stutter a bit when I'm nervous.
Hopefully like others have said it's just a phase........

ThePsychicSatsuma · 05/08/2012 19:45

don't really want to go to GP as she's bright, she'll realise I'm worried, and may make it worse?
what would a gp do anyway? refer to a speech therapist?
I said to her to let the words flow out like water and that helped when she was reading her story tonight
it''s especially when she's upset or I can see her attention wander when she's speaking

ThePsychicSatsuma · 05/08/2012 19:47

my 4.0 yr old ds stutters like that, kkkkk-can I have etc and occasionally in the middle of speaking, but dd's is out of the blue

ThePsychicSatsuma · 05/08/2012 19:48

are there any teachers about? is it a developmental phase?

SilveryMoon · 05/08/2012 19:49

Psychic How old is your dd?
What about having a chat over the phone with your HV so dd wouldn't hear?

I'm not worried atm, it is just the one word (can) that he stutters on.

ThePsychicSatsuma · 05/08/2012 19:56

she's 6.
was just reading some stuttering stuff online and my 4yo does talk over her a lot. will observe what happens this week, :-(

SilveryMoon · 05/08/2012 19:58

will also have to google then.

ThePsychicSatsuma · 05/08/2012 20:03

waaaa am scaring myself they seem to suggest that age 5+ is more of a problem

SilveryMoon · 05/08/2012 20:05

I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. Could it just be her brain moving too fast for her mouth?
Happens to me a lot

ThePsychicSatsuma · 05/08/2012 20:05

this is helpful

ThePsychicSatsuma · 05/08/2012 20:09

am worried it's like a reading-anxiety thing now... ...

SilveryMoon · 05/08/2012 20:12

yes, that is interesting.
I will have to count his k-k-k ing.
Ds1 (5yrs) does a lot of the erm, er, etc when he talks, but he is a right old chatterbox and I think just gets flustered

SilveryMoon · 05/08/2012 20:13

don't know what to say.....
I take it her teacher didn't mention anything?
Maybe you should mention it to her new teacher?

ThePsychicSatsuma · 05/08/2012 20:24

nope teacher didnt mention, however she is v quiet and shy in school.

SilveryMoon · 05/08/2012 20:26

maybe give it a few months and see if it improves? But if your instincts are telling you there's something wrong, maybe you should follow it up

ThePsychicSatsuma · 05/08/2012 20:27

will observe this week, maybe phone gp for hv number. will also make sure ds not interrupting her.

SilveryMoon · 05/08/2012 20:29

think hv is only up until they hit 5?

ThePsychicSatsuma · 05/08/2012 21:46

oh, rats!

just gp then if Im concerned, hmmm.

YouBloodyWolf · 06/08/2012 04:47

I'm a lifelong stammerer and I've lost count of the number of people who tell me that they used to stammer as a child, or had a 'phase' of stammering as a child. The vast majority of children grow out of it.

I'd try not to draw attention to it, make sure you give them time to speak uninterrupted and be aware of any stress factors that may be making it worse - tiredness, being in trouble, school pressure etc.

Is there any family history of stammering?

jemtalk · 16/08/2012 20:32

Friend of mine swears by Peter at the stammering project, www.thestammeringproject.co.uk, she leant me his book "stammering... scarier than voldermort", it was so funny, interesting and totally gives you the truth about stammering, not of this sensational cure stuff that you get on the telly. He does skype sessions and answers any questions, gives advice and loads of explanations. My friend never shuts up about him.

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