Question

My baby, who is two years old, sometimes stutters when speaking. He spoke normally when he was one and a half years old. Now, he stutters most of the time, but sometimes he doesn’t. If he speaks slowly, it’s fine. He is now ten months old. Is this a case of stuttering? What are the solutions?

Answer

This kind of stuttering is common in children around two years old and is usually not a case of stuttering but rather a normal phenomenon of unsmooth language development during growth. At this stage, children’s thinking abilities develop rapidly, but their expressive abilities have not yet kept up, so it’s normal for them to stutter when speaking. Here are some suggestions:

  1. Maintain a calm mind and do not correct or remind the child when they speak.
  2. Praise and encourage the child when they show progress, and do not criticize because there is no improvement.
  3. Accompany the child in reciting children’s songs to practice their oratory skills.
  4. Speak slowly yourself when talking at home to serve as a role model for the child to imitate.
  5. Maintain a harmonious family atmosphere and avoid family conflicts that may affect the child’s language development. Parents can rest assured that most children can speak fluently by around three years old.