Why has my child started stammering?
It can be worrying when your child starts repeating sounds or words, getting stuck, or becoming upset when trying to speak. Stammering can vary from day to day and may be more noticeable when a child is tired, excited, under pressure or trying to say something important.
Support can help your child communicate with confidence and reduce the emotional impact of stammering.
What this can look like
Your child may:
- repeat sounds, parts of words, whole words or phrases
- get stuck when trying to say a word
- stretch sounds out
- show tension in their face or body when speaking
- avoid certain words or speaking situations
- seem more fluent some days than others
- become upset, frustrated or self-conscious about talking
What may be going on
These difficulties may be linked to stammering, also known as stuttering. Stammering is not caused by nervousness or parenting, but pressure, reactions and communication demands can affect how confident a child feels when speaking.
How assessment helps
A speech and language assessment looks at your child’s speech fluency, how often they stammer, what types of stammering are present and how your child feels about talking.
It also considers how adults can support communication in a calm and helpful way.
How I can help
I provide advice and support to help children communicate with confidence. This may include parent strategies, direct therapy, reducing pressure around talking and helping your child feel more comfortable expressing themselves.
Support is tailored to your child’s age, needs and feelings about their speech.
Not sure if this sounds like your child?
That’s okay. You do not need to know the reason before asking for help.
Book a free 15-minute consultation and we can talk through your concerns together.