Stuttering in Children - The Warning Signs

Right around the age of between 3 - 4 children may start stuttering as they are further developing their speech skills. This is very typical, and it causes toddlers mainly to repeat or hesitate words and syllables. This stuttering in children doesn't typically last long, as the world of language is just new to them. To those parents who are worried, don't be too alarmed, as most children outgrow this several months later.

What causes stuttering in children is still a big mystery. Many studies have been conducted to try to get to the root of the problem. What we do know is that there are plenty of factors that can contribute or trigger this speech disorder. Genetics and the malfunction of the mechanisms responsible for speech production in the brain, nerves, and muscles may be just a few.

The symptoms of stuttering in children should only be feared if it has continued with no sign of improvement up to about six months later. Here is a short list of the symptoms that you should be aware of.

1. Consistent repetition of a specific syllable.
2. The habit of pronouncing some sounds in an elongated way like "Hhhhhhhello".
3. Substituting vowels such as "I will wuh-wuhsh my face".
4. The changing of tone and/or pitch when a kid is having difficulty with a word.
5. Shows signs of being afraid to speak.

If you feel that your child might be dealing with this issue, there are some important things that you must
understand.

As a parent its your job to ease their mind and help them get through the stage of speech disfluency. So
here are some useful tips regarding stuttering in children.

1. Do no ask your child too many questions. Give a small child room to express themselves, so that they can put the thought behind it, rather than the parent forcing them to speak.

2. Do not have a negative reaction when they stutter. The worst thing to do is make them extremely self conscious. Do not correct the child either, nor complete any sentence that they are struggling with. Let them finish what they started.

3. Once they have finished what they need to say, repeat it back slowly to let them know that you understood.

4. Stuttering in children is commonly also a result of fast speaking. Try your hardest to speak at a moderate tempo around your kids. This will give them a good example, and don't act like you're in a hurry when they are speaking, or it might rush them.

Did you know that nearly 3 million Americans alone deal with stuttering? For more information, tips and support check out this site on how you can stop stuttering [http://www.stop-stuttering-blog.com].