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Stuttering

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Treatment:

There is no one best treatment for stuttering. Most early cases are short-term and resolve on their own. In persistent cases, speech therapy may help. Research on therapies is on-going and should be investigated to determine what kinds of help may be most useful.

Some people who stutter find that when they read aloud or sing they do not stutter. It can be helpful for the child's self-esteem to practice reading aloud or singing.

Expectations (prognosis):

In the majority of children who develop stuttering, the phase is transient and speech will return to normal. Obvious increases in speech difficulty may lead to persistent stuttering into adulthood. Transient dysfluency is most common between ages 3 - 5. Parents should avoid expressing too much comment or concern, which may actually make the child more self conscious.

Complications:

Complications of stuttering may include social problems caused by the fear of ridicule, which may make a child avoid speaking entirely.

Calling your health care provider:

Call your provider if stuttering is interfering with your child's school work or emotional development.

• Review Date: 6/13/2006
• Reviewed By: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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