2 1/2 year old just developed major stutter

[onedayatatime73]

My really chatty, articulate 2 year old has suddenly developed a major stutter seemingly out of nowhere.
It began with just the start of a sentence and now is almost every word within a sentence. Sometime time elongated so rather that I I I it can be iiiii. Sometimes she doesn't notice and sometimes she gets upset and wants me to finish it for her. Or she whispers it.

I have booked an appointment with gp for Friday but does anyone have any experience? Or any speech therapists out there who can walk me through next steps?

Look at British stammering association website. It has lots of useful information and tips. My tips would be to keep your pace of speech slow and calm, not to draw attention to it as it can become a viscous circle when aware of the stammer, give your daughter plenty of time to talk, be patient. Often children go through a period of normal dysfluency at this age. Phone your local Seech therapy dept, often parental referrals are accepted and you don't need to go through GP. Health visitors also refer to speech therapy.

I've read somewhere (might be aha parenting website) that stammers that come and go are normal as young children learn to speak.

DD does it sometimes, comes and goes. I think what the article said is its a sign of having lots of words to choose from (good thing) or thoughts running faster than they can speak. It also had characteristics of when it might be more permanent. Have a google around?

Don't bother with a GP appointment, they can't 'do' anything. Ring your local Children's Speech and Language Therapy Department instead and ask for advice and/or referral to them to discuss. Look at their British Stammering Association website, they've got a helpline too I think and will be able too give you upto date advice which many GP's are unable to do. Don't panic and follow the advice. It's pretty common and does not mean your child with stammer forever.

I know 2 people whose toddlers went through a stuttering phase they both grew out if it quite quickly is only be worried if it went on for a long time but otherwise quite common I think.

DS did the same At the same age. He grew out of it as quickly as it came on. The speech therapist described it as his brain was working so fast thinking of what to say his mouth couldn't keep up. As he matured his brain and mouth caught up (and now he never shuts up)

The tips we had, which I still use
Don't finish the sentence for him no matter how tempting
Don't let anyone talk over him or talk for him (my DS is a twin so we had problems with them 'competing' to tell me stuff)
Look at him when he's talking to you.
Tell him you're listening if he's struggling

DD1 did this in May. She is now stammer free again. It came suddenly and went suddenly. I think I may have been too keen on reinforcing manners and it had a knock on effect.

My DD went through this at the same age, actually maybe older, she was just about to start pre school.

We went straight to the speech therapy sessions, I was told I needed to slow my speech down because I'm a fast talker. They also said I needed to let her finis her sentence and be patient.

It took a while with at least a dozen sessions but she grew out of it.

Reading the whole thread and this comment is what put things into perspective for me, as I’m a fast talker in this exact situation. Thank you for sharing your experience.

Thank you so much for this, I’m going to keep this in mind!