Any Speech Therapists? Need advice on sudden stuttering!

I would love to hear some input on the situation with a very dear friend's daughter!

She is going to be 3 in march and has been talking very well for some time, never any issues. A few weeks ago, she started stuttering, completely unexpectedly. Sometimes it goes away and then sometimes it is so bad that she can;t finish a sentence... Her mom is beside herself... Anyone ever come across anything like that? What could be the reason? Would she need treatment? Will it go away on it's own?

Message edited 1/12/2009 12:58:55 PM.

Re: Any Speach Therapists? Need advice on sudden stuttering!

I think a lot of kids go through a sudden onset of stuttering...many times it just goes away. It's almost like their thought are going faster than their mouths can and they can't get out what they really want to say. Am I making sense?

Of course I'm not a speech therapist, but I know this has happened with a lot of people...

Re: Any Speach Therapists? Need advice on sudden stuttering!

Not to hijack but any information would be so helpful to me as I am going through this with my son. He will be 3 in March and all of a sudden, he stutters here and there. I was so concerned. So far, everyone I spoke to said not to worry and it's a phase etc and will go away on its own !

Re: Any Speach Therapists? Need advice on sudden stuttering!

I did think it might have something to do with the overflow of the info... It would be great to hear from a professional or someone who dealt with this issue personally.

Re: Any Speech Therapists? Need advice on sudden stuttering!

I'm a speech pathologist. It's totally normal this age. Their minds are working faster than their mouths. I copied this from a post I wrote a while back...

Stuttering type behaviors that are normal at this age are:
repeating whole words or phrases
revising (starting to say something and then starting over)
using fillers (um, uh, etc).

Some behaviors to watch for that are atypical and could be signs of a true stuttering problems are:
part word repetitions (b-b-b-boy)
prolongations (mmmmmmilk)
blocks (mouth ready to produce the sound, but no sound comes out)
signs of stuggle, frustration, or tension when speaking
secondary behaviors such as blinking or head jerks

Most likely what you are seeing is normal dysfluencies that occur at this age and will go away on their own. But there are still some things that you can do to help your child speak more easily. Model slow easy speech when you are talking. Try to keep your interactions unrushed and don't interrupt. Don't draw attention to his speech or try to correct him. Always allow him to finish what he says. Don't finish his sentences for him. After he says something, pause before you respond. It provides a good model for him showing him that he can think about what he's about to say before he says it. Try to not to ask as many direct questions that put pressure on him to respond--so instead of asking What did you eat for lunch? you could say I wonder what you ate for lunch. Or you could even say I had a sandwich for lunch and he might then tell you what he ate. Use more commenting rather than questioning. I could go on and on, but basically don't directly address his speech or verbally remind him to slow down or start over, etc. Just try some of the things I mentioned above. He's probably totally unaware of the normal stuttering like behaviors. If he does seem frustrated or you notice any of the behaviors that are atypical then I'd talk to a speech pathologist, but otherwise don't worry it's completely normal! FM me if you have any questions!

Re: Any Speech Therapists? Need advice on sudden stuttering!

Very normal. My DS went through the same thing and I freaked out. I spoke to SP and they all said not to worry. Within 3 months he had stopped.