Wondering if toddler speech delays and stuttering go hand-in-hand? We have the answer for you. A child who experienced a toddler speech delay is more likely to stutter than a child without speech delays. However, children without speech delays can also stutter as well. In these cases, though, it is considered more of a stage than a speech issue.
Related: What Other Issues Can I Expect When Dealing with a Speech Delay?
Does a Toddler Speech Delay Lead to Stuttering?
What exactly is stuttering? Simply put, the flow of speech is broken. You may notice your child has difficulty speaking or maybe he hesitates when speaking. He might also tend to repeat certain syllables, words or phrases more than once when speaking. For example, he might say something like, ‘I want it li-li-li-like this’. When he is having trouble getting the words out, you might notice it in his face as well. He might have some muscle straining around his mouth and face while he is trying to speak, he might blink, in an effort to get the words out.
Many children go through a period of stuttering, and grow out of it by late childhood. About 5% of the population of children will go through a period of about six months or so. Only about 1% of the population is left with a long term issue. This does not mean a child can not overcome his issue with speech.
Related: What Free Resources Are There for Coping with a Toddler Speech Delay?
There are many famous people who you would never know had a problem with stuttering and have learned to overcome. John Stossel, a well recognized reporter, suffered for years with stuttering even as an adult. He even considered a new career for fear of stuttering on television. He did not give up! Today, you would never know this about him. How did he overcome his stuttering? Well I do not know for sure, but I am sure he did some of the following.
When speaking and listening to your child, encourage slow and relaxed speaking, modeling this yourself. You do not have to speak so it is uncomfortably slow but just be sure you are not speaking in a hurried manner (like most of us tend to do without thinking about it). Think Mr. Rogers from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Speaking more like him will help your child. Do your best to not get frustrated with your child if his stuttering increases or he has difficulty at times, it will only make it worse for him, he is doing his best to communicate. It is more frustrating for him than it is for you.
We want the very best for our children. It can be hard for us as parents when our children have difficulty with things that other children do not have difficulty with. Take a different attitude about it, and turn it into a positive! Helping your child to overcome stuttering is just setting the way for him to know that there isn’t anything in life he can’t do if he sets his mind to it!
How have you helped your child who deals with stuttering? Post your stories below!
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Stuttering can be so tough to deal with I’m sure! Great coping tips!
Thank you for the resources! It is good to be informed.
Great article. My three year old stutters and I am concerned about it.
Great information here! I wish I would have seen something like this when I had concerns about my son who wasn’t speaking at 2. He eventually started speaking and all was fine but having info like this at that time would have been so helpful.
I have a two year old so we are monitoring this issue. This is good to know. Thanks!
I don’t think so .. the fact that there is stutter means there is some sort of “speech” which just needs to be developed . Consult with a Speech Therapist to know your best options
We asked this question too, thankfully it is not related
These are some great ideas and even responses to them. I did have one with a delay but never any stuttering.
My friend is a retired speech therapist and yes, early intervention is key.
Thank goodness for early intervention. I think that is the key. I’ve not experienced this with my boys though I can imagine how upsetting it is for parents.
I personally don’t knwo anyone who stutters but I do know its very prevalent, as well as speech delays
I am no doctor but my husband did not talk until he was 3 and he does not have a stutter.
Interesting. I didn’t think they were related. My son has a speech delay and has been in therapy for years.
It’s amazing to me how many famous people did stutter. Doesn’t seem to slow them down with initiative, and that’s great!
My middle child was speech delayed and she did not stutter.
I have had a few of my children start speaking late and thankfully they did not stutter. One speaks really well and the other is going to start speech therapy soon so he pronounces his words more clearly.
Wish we had asked this when my brother was younger. H didn’t speak till he was 4.
This is really interesting. It’s good to know there are things you can do to help your child through stuttering problems.
This is a great resource! I’ll be sharing this with some friends and family who are dealing with issue.
It can be upsetting for both child and parents when the child has a stutter. Fortunately, speech therapy is effective in many cases.
My son stuttered when he was young. All through school he had regular Speech Therapy – he no longer has a speech issue.
I asked this same question when my son was in early intervention for a delay. Glad I found out early that they are totally unrelated.