Stuttering in children: causes and treatment

What is stuttering?

Stuttering is a speech disorder in which those affected are unable to speak fluently due to the situation. Stuttering, for example, involves frequent repetition or prolongation of words, syllables, or sounds. Everyone makes mistakes, pauses or repeats themselves when speaking. However, if more than ten percent of the flow of speech is affected by these interruptions or repetitions, this is beyond normal and one speaks of a disorder. Another aspect is that stuttering is involuntary and difficult or impossible to suppress. The type and extent of stuttering depend on the situation and can vary greatly.

About four percent of all children go through a phase in which they stutter. This usually begins between the ages of two and six and ends in three quarters of cases by puberty at the latest. If your child stutters, you should definitely see a speech therapist. The earlier the treatment of the speech disorder begins, the more successful it is. You shouldn’t rely on your stuttering to get better on its own. The disruption of the flow of speech must not solidify. Because in adulthood, stuttering can only be treated to a limited extent and usually only a small improvement can be achieved. In Germany, one percent of adults stutter. Men are affected three to four times as often as women.

Symptoms of stuttering in children

If your child shows the following abnormalities when speaking, these may be indications that your child is stuttering or that there is a risk that stuttering may develop:

• Your child repeats a very large number of words, syllables, or sounds , for example, “Ppppp-postman” or “Po-po-po-postman.”
• It stretches some words, syllables or sounds , for example “Pooooostbooooote”
• Your child uses a conspicuous amount of insertions , such as “uh” or “ehm” while speaking.
• Your child often makes long pauses when speaking , during which it seems blocked from continuing to speak. During such pauses, the vocal folds can often be heard hitting against each other, resulting in a soft, popping sound. Respiratory blockages are also possible.

If your child tries to suppress or hide their stuttering, it is very difficult for you to recognize the stuttering. If you observe these symptoms, they can give you clues about suppressed stuttering:

• Your child avoids speaking in certain situations that make them uncomfortable .
• It avoids ‘difficult’ sounds or words .
• When speaking, you can observe an increased tension in your child’s speech muscles because the child is trying to fight the stuttering. This can also be expressed by gasping, clenching of the teeth, jerky tongue movements, a spasm of holding the mouth open or tightened lips.
• When speaking, it grimaces , makes jerky movements, and appears strained.

In the course of language development , many children go through a phase of slurred speech. If your child does not speak 5 percent of the words fluently, there is no reason to worry. In excitement, stress or long sentences, a higher number of incorrectly spoken words is also harmless. Because the ability to speak fluently has to be developed first.

Causes of stuttering in children

There is a great deal of disagreement in research as to the exact causes of the speech disorder stuttering. It is still not clear whether the stuttering is caused by a mental disorder or by a neuronal disorder in the brain. In any case, it is certain that stuttering occurs regardless of social or cultural background. Brain wave measurements showed that the brain works differently in terms of language formation processes than that of people who do not stutter. It is also unclear whether the disorder is hereditary. But it seems to run in families.

In any case, stuttering is not, as is often falsely claimed, triggered by emotional or psychological problems. If anything, they are a result of stuttering. If the affected person suffers greatly from the language disorder, serious problems such as inferiority complexes, social withdrawal or fear of speaking can develop.

Stuttering also seems to have something to do with how the brain processes its own speech. There seems to be a problem with people who stutter because they only stutter when they can hear themselves speak. For example, if they speak or sing in a choir, if they whisper or do not hear their own voice when speaking, the flow of speech is error-free and fluent.

Stuttering in children: what therapy?

You should definitely seek specialist advice if you notice any of the following in your child:

• The speech abnormalities last for a period of six months or more .
• Your child regularly has trouble speaking.
• Your child becomes aware that they have difficulty speaking or even suffer from the speech disorder.
• Your child has to use more and more force to speak.

Because the causes of stuttering have not yet been sufficiently clarified, there is also uncertainty about the effectiveness of therapy for the speech disorder. There are a variety of different treatment approaches, which makes those affected disoriented and makes them wonder which therapy to choose. In any case, caution is advised with providers who promise quick success. These usually turn out to be dubious, because successful therapy usually requires a great deal of time and perseverance so that it can also be successful in the long term. The following can help your child with stuttering:

• Typically, stuttering therapy is performed by a speech therapist . This trains your child in things such as breathing and voice technique, intonation, speaking rhythm and other rhetorical elements.
• Mental training can also be successful, because here your child learns to speak without fear, for example with certain relaxation techniques.
• Therapy in which your child learns to accept their stuttering and to identify with it also helps in dealing with the speech disorder.
• Certain medications can improve speech when nothing else works.

What can you do about stuttering?

You too can contribute with your behavior to ensure that your child stutters less severely. For example, you should always let your child speak in peace. After all, it knows what it wants to say, it just can’t. Pressuring or adding sentences can make the stutter worse or make the child feel patronized. You should keep these points in mind when talking to your stuttering child so that they are not ashamed of their stuttering and withdraw:

• Don’t say something like, “Take a deep breath,” or “Think before you speak,” or “Don’t rush.” This puts unnecessary pressure on your child.
• Don’t add to his sentences , that quickly comes across as impatient or condescending.
• Look relaxed and interested when your child talks to you.
• Give him as much time as it takes to finish speaking.
• Show your child that what they say is important and interesting and that you don’t care how they say it.

You should also inform your child’s teachers or educators about the stuttering so that your child is not exposed in school or kindergarten. They often know too little about the speech disorder and are grateful for information.