Can a stutter just develop? Concerned.

[MamaBlue4]

Okay, so I thought I'd ask here.

My cousin is concerned about her daughter, the past couple of weeks she's started to stutter, and it looks like it's getting worse. She's having trouble getting words out, and changing the sentences so she can get the words out. Will be taking her to doctors if it carries on next week.

Any advice, I can pass on?

I should note; my niece is 3, turning 4 in July.

My husband has a stammer.

DD2 was 3 or 4 when she started getting one. A few times she struggled so much to say a word she stamped her foot on the ground and stomped off, mid sentence.

Luckily it was a passing thing and cured itself. She just had sooooo much to say her brain couldn't keep up. We went to our local speech and language people, but they weren't any much help - should have waited a few more months, but husband was having apoplexy, blaming himself (his stammer).

Very common. If want to ask doctor DO NOT take child as discussing it in front of child will be potentially aggravating. Try to chill out, usually passes.

Thank you, I'll be sure to pass it on :)

DD2 started doing this just before her 2nd birthday and I was quite concerned, but I Googled and it turns out that it's quite common in this sort of age group, when speech is developing - I think it was called disfluency? As a PP said, their brain is working too quickly for their speech to catch up. It lasted about 2 months in her case, but her speech has really come on since it stopped and she uses 7 or 8 word sentences now. In fact, I can't shut her up! I tried to ignore it and also tried my best to get others to ignore it too. I also avoided the temptation of finishing off her sentences, which is harder than I thought!

Both DS1 and DS2 had a stammer for about a month or so when they were about 3 ish. Nothing to worry about in either case, like PP said - they just had too many thoughts to get out!

If it carries on then get it checked out, but maybe try speaking to the health visitor first?

sounds like badweekend got good advice. I had the suggestion "try not to ask her any questions, so she isn't under any pressure to talk"

seriously? Don't ask your child any questions????

As you will see from the above responses, this is very common and mercifully almost allways grow out of it in a few months. Can't remember for how long DS had it but it disappeared and now he is very clear and articulate speaker at 11. Puts me to shame!

Best wishes

Same here. Dd developed a dramatic stutter over a week or so when she was around 3. She was repeating the initial sound of the first word 10+ times, conversations were taking about twice as long! I self refereed her to the speech and language dept. but by the time the appt came round, 3 months later, it was long gone. S&L Therapist said what others are saying. Common at this age, represents a leap in language style from simple to a more complex sentence structure.

*Referred

My eldest woke one day with a stutter, he was about 5. Tried my hardest to ignore it but sadly sometimes did get impatient with him. Neither attitude seemed to make it better or worse. Then one day about 6 months later he woke without it. We've never mentioned it since. I'm sure it was the stress of 'big school' and other personal things going on in the family. Ignore it I'm pretty sure it will pass..

Very, very common. Both of mine have been through a stuttery stammery phase, we followed MN advise, which is to be very patient, never try and correct or finish the word for them and never comment in it to them. Dd's lasted about 6 months and tailed off. DS still has his on and off.