Fluency (Stuttering)
What you need to know
Many children go through a brief and normal period of stuttering between 2 and 3 years of age. This coincides with the rapid boom of their language development (going from 50 words at 2 years of age to 1000 words at 3 years of age). Some children, however, experience stuttering that does not resolve on its own. Speech Pathologists can help children who stutter.
It is important that therapy starts early, as there are better outcomes for children before they reach six years of age.
Risk factors that indicate your child may require therapy for stuttering include but are not limited to:
- If there is a family history of stuttering;
- If the stuttering is impacting on your child’s day to day life.
How we can help?
At Affinity Speech Pathology we are trained in both Lidcombe Program and Restart DCM – treatment approaches with the strongest evidence base for preschool children who stutter. Stuttering treatment involves training the parent to implement the treatment at home as well as direct therapy from the speech pathologist, so parents are active participants in the treatment. We are also experienced in working with school-aged children who stutter.