Question
My son is six years old and has been stuttering for over a month now. He repeats the first word several times, and sometimes he also repeats words in the middle. When he talks to himself, he doesn’t stutter at all. I’ve been slowly correcting him to speak more slowly and think before he speaks, but I’ve found that his stuttering has become more severe. What should I do now? I’m desperate.
Answer
Stuttering often occurs when children are first learning to speak, but this does not necessarily mean that the child is genetically predisposed to stuttering. With a rich variety of sensory information every day, it’s challenging for children to fully express themselves in language. The child’s language ability may not be in sync with their psychological and intellectual development, leading to pauses, repetitions, and hesitations in speech – this is what we refer to as stuttering. Parents should handle it appropriately without scolding or showing surprise. Prevention is key, such as keeping the child away from environments that may exacerbate their stuttering, as the impact of the environment on a child’s stuttering cannot be underestimated.