Stuttering

Overview

Stuttering and stammering are perfectly normal when children start speaking. This speech pattern usually disappears on its own. However, professional speech therapy is recommended if stuttering persists and has a negative impact on the child's development.

Symptoms

• Repetition and/or prolongation of sounds, syllables and words

Causes and treatment

Causes

The specific cause of stuttering isn't known, but many factors can contribute to stuttering (e.g. hearing disorder, bilingualism, etc.).

Further treatment by your doctor / in hospital

A child who stutters should be taken to see a paediatrician and/or speech therapist.

Possible therapies

• Individual speech therapy
  

What can I do myself?

• Talk and sing a lot with the child
• Be patient and don’t push the child

When to see a doctor?

• If stuttering persists past the age of 5
• If stuttering has a negative impact on speech development
• The child's well-being is the most important consideration