Researcher Professor Sheena Reilly says stuttering isn't unusual in children aged up to three.
But why does it occur, when does it become an issue and what's the best way to deal with it?

What is Stuttering & Why Does It Occur?

Stuttering is a common problem in toddlers, and understandably so; they are learning to talk and big words can trip up little mouths. However, if it continues into childhood and even adulthood, it can cause a range of other problems.

Stuttering is a speech disorder characterised by the disruption of the normal flow of speech. The disruptions can be in the form of involuntary repetition of words or sounds, prolonged syllables (usually vowels or semi-vowels) or prolonged silences known as "blocks".

Stuttering can also be accompanied by signs of discomfort and struggle. Stuttering varies in severity, ranging from mild and barely noticeable to acute and debilitating, preventing sufferers from communicating properly and causing emotional stress, which may cause embarrassment, fear of speaking and social phobia.

Kids can be bullied or teased and may hesitate to communicate at school, leading to poor grades and isolation. If untreated, in the worst cases, it can result in limited occupational choices and impaired communication.

Stuttering remains a mystery and the cause is unknown, although the condition may be linked to the part of the brain that controls language. It is widely assumed to be a genetic connection, however research on this is limited.

Research Into Stuttering

The Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) has conducted the largest study of early stuttering onset to date in children aged up to three. Most parents reported that they first noticed stuttering when the child was stringing three or more words together. In more than half the children, stuttering started suddenly; about one-third of parents reported that it commenced during a period of one day, and about 12 percent of parents over two to three days. The majority of parents described the nature of their child's stuttering as episodic rather than continuous, and the most commonly reported stuttering behaviour was whole word repetition.

The study's lead researcher, Professor Sheena Reilly, has some reassuring advice for parents.

'Stuttering is not unusual in children up to three years of age,' she says.
'In fact, we found it to be almost twice as common as previously reported.'

Professor Reilly says stuttering is often associated with kids' rapid growth in language development, most noticeably the combining of words into phrases and short sentences.

Preschool children who start to stutter do not seem to be more shy or withdrawn compared to other children of the same age who do not stutter.

The study looked at several factors that might predict if a child will start stuttering, such as the mother's mental health and education levels, gender, prematurity, birth weight, birth order, twinning, socio-economic status and family history of stuttering. But these offered few clues as to why a child begins to stutter.

'Parents should be reassured that there is no strong evidence that the environmental and social factors measured were related to stuttering onset,' explains Professor Reilly.

With this current research, MCRI will continue to study this group of children until seven years of age to identify any factors which might help predict persistent stuttering in children, to estimate the natural recovery rate during the preschool years, and to examine the emotional impacts of persistent stuttering.

'We found that a much higher number of children stuttered than expected,' says Professor Reilly.
'But we know that only around one percent of adults stutter.
One possible implication of our finding might be that natural recovery is much higher than previously thought. But we will only learn this from further study of the children.'

If you are concerned about your child, visit your health practitioner for a referral to a speech pathologist.

Parent's Own Story

Caleb Parsons started stuttering at age three. At first his mum, Charlinda, put it down to disfluency and assumed Caleb would grow out of it.

"Caleb's speaking started to deteriorate, so we decided it couldn't hurt to put him on the waiting list to see a speech pathologist. Eventually he got in and his six months of treatment definitely made a difference. By the time he finished he was fluent 80 percent of the time. Caleb has now started school, and although he still stutters occasionally, he is confident and enjoying the social side of school."

"Caleb's brother Sam, aged four, also stutters and has been seeing a speech pathologist for four months. He's a bit more self-conscious about it and in some ways it has affected his confidence."

"Now it doesn't surprise me to know that a lot of stutterers do grow out of it. But if you're concerned, talk to people at your local community health centre - and make an appointment with a speech pathologist straightaway. Their waiting lists are long so you can sometimes wait for up to a year."

This article is brought to you by My Child Magazine.
Words Kelly Hennessey

My Child is a fantastic parenting, health and lifestyle magazine that helps mums and dads know what to expect during pregnancy and birth, babyhood and the toddler and preschool years. There are great articles, heart-warming stories, personal tales of parents' experiences, and gorgeous fashion, interiors, style and product pages. This is Australia's first truly stylish and informative parenting magazine. Available quarterly. You can also visit our friendly forum or subscribe at www.mychildmagazine.com.au.

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