My 2 Year Old Son Just Started Stuttering. Why? Help? What Should I Do?

If this is bothering you or scaring you this much, I would call my pediatrician and ask for a referral to a speech/language pathologist. It would be better to have him evaluated now, and be told he is fine, will outgrow it. I wouldn't want to wait it out and be constantly worrying for him to outgrow this. Good Luck!

Phases of stuttering are normal as kids progress through language development. Their brains are working faster than their little face muscles can produce the words. He might be having a little language burst and his tongue and mouth muscles haven't caught up yet. Don't call attention to it. Just be patient and give him time to let it out. There are always a hundred things happening, but try to give him your total attention as he works on it and show him that you are interested in what he has to say and can wait to let him get it out. If he's not upset or bothered by it, just wait patiently and don't really call extra attention to it. Just respond to his ideas. If you notice it happening when he's really excited and trying to talk quickly because he just can't wait to tell you something, you might gentle suggest "I can see you are really excited. Slow down so I can hear your story." If he's showing frustration, you might respond "I can see you have a lot to say and you are having a tough time getting it out. It's ok. I want to hear what you have to say." This shows him that you are empathizing with him and are interested in his feelings and thoughts. Then give him time to continue getting his thoughts out.

If you notice this "phase" extending beyond what you feel comfortable with considering a phase or it gets worse, then contact your pediatrician for recommendations. It will be slightly disruptive to communication, but if he prevents his communication, you should consult the ped. Usually they have to recommend assessment for speech services. Try to observe situations that he struggles most so that you can report that info to ped and specialist if that becomes needed.

As an SLP I will tell you that stuttering at this age CAN be typical. Because you are reporting frustration and tension I would recommend an evaluation. It is ALWAYS better to go with your gut and find they tell you to wait it out than be worried and tense. Remember to not overly bombard him with questions (how are you, what do you want for dinner what are you playing with), don't finish his sentences-let him get it out, look interested but don't stare, make sure he knows he has your undivided attention (look/ don't stare, but also not letting other things cut him off while he is trying to speak). You and your hubby should be modeling slow, easy speech (be careful of your own rate of speech and lifestyle). GOOD LUCK!

Stuttering at that age is very normal especially for an intelligent child who talks early. Don't draw attention to it or point it out to him. When you speak to him slow your speech down a bit. He stutters because he is thinking faster than he can get the words out. It should correct itself in time.

get him tested just in case, doesn't hurt and yes things can happen all of a sudden to change speech.

This is totally common! Do not stress. Sometimes a child's mind will go faster than his mouth and stammering can occur. If he spoke well before then don't worry about it. This is very typical among toddlers and preschoolers. This can last up to many months. Don't call attention to if possible. Just ask him to slow down and maybe start the first word for him of the sentence. Do not over emphasize it.

If you truly feel there is a concern, you can go to your local Early Intervention and ask for an evaluation, which is usually done in the home and is free.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

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It's not unusual at all for a child to stutter around this age, especially if his language skills are generally advanced (it tends to happen when kids have a burst of language development). The best things to do are to focus on WHAT he's saying, not HOW he's saying it (don't talk a lot about the stuttering or seem to let it bother you, though if it's really bugging him, you could say something like, "Boy, that was kind of tough" and then go on). Also, make an effort to slow down your conversations with him. Speak slowly, and give him the impression that he has all the time he needs to respond or tell you something. This can be really hard on a busy morning, but as much as you can make speaking a non-pressured, no-rush situation, it's worth it. If it lasts more than a few months, or he gets very frustrated, or he develops secondary behaviors (movements to "help get the words out" like turning his head, tapping his hands, stomping his feet) or if he really gets stuck on single sounds, rather than syllables or words (so that no sound at all comes out, or it's very difficult for him to speak) you can take him to a pediatric speech-language pathologist for an evaluation (which would probably be covered by insurance) and have him assessed. She could give you more suggestions to help, and recommend therapy if necessary. Good luck!

I went through the same thing.....it is so very normal, and boys do it much more than girls....when this was happening, I made no big deal out of it....just listen, and do not let them see your frustration....if it gets worse, still be patient...just say,"take your time". Kids brains work so much faster than ours, and they can not talk as fast as there brain projects.

My son started this too when I think he was about 3. It was scary and frustrating to hear him struggle. One time he even said to me, " mommy, I can't say it!" so I talked to the pediatrician and they reassured me that it was a stage where their brains are moving faster than their mouths and that it would only last a couple of months maybe up to 6 months and they were right! It only lasted a few months. The key is not to draw attention to it or make a big deal about it... tell your extended family that too, so they don't make a big deal about it. Good luck and be encouraged, I think it will go away soon.

A.,

I am a speech therapist and I work with children ages 3-5. Any child can go through a period of normal disfluency. Especially children who are advanced with their language skills. It seems that they just aren't able to formulate the words as quickly as their brain can think them up! Having said that, there are markers that speech tx's look for to determine whether the speech pattern is normal or abnormal. I suggest contacting your local birth to three agencies and see if a speech tx can evaluate him. They should be able to give you great advice either way. For now just remember to keep eye contact with him while he is speaking and slow down all of your conversations - you take lots of time and allow him to take lots of time.

Wish you the best!
LCM

My just turned 3 year old boy also did that about the same age and it was very painful to hear. I would just tell him to stop, take a deep breath and think about what he wanted to say then start again. Often getting him to slow down and think through what he wanted to say was enough to let him regroup and be able to say it. My understanding is that the most important thing is to let them finish their own sentences no matter how long it takes. Hopefully this idea will help with him. My son out grew it after a few months. I think it happened because of a big leap in the mental ability that his vocal ability couldn't keep up with right away. He literally was thinking of more than he was able to say. :0)

If your school district has a speech therapist, I would contact them by phone, and ask the same question, and ask if there are things you can do to help him. If they don't have one, a guidance counselor type person may be able to recommend one, then you can get some suggestions from that person. and you should share them wtih the daycare people, so everyone is treating him similarly.

I have a suspicion that he's thinking faster than he can talk and he has half his brain way ahead of himself. So you may have to simply ask him to slow down. Or maybe you can make songs out of some of those frequent lines, and he might be able to make his diction lilt a little, like a song, so he doesn't stutter. but definately ask for some advice from someone in the know. It's better to tackle it early, before he sees it as a permanent frustration, and tenses up to talk all the time.

I am an SLP in Irvine, Ca who specializes in stuttering disorders.
First, please understand that many children between 2-5 stutter, especially boys. You should not wait and see if he outgrows it. Instead, please seek professional council by an SLP trained in fluency shaping therapy.

There are a few things you can do to help reduce the enviornmental demands and increase his processing capacities. Please reduce any open endend questions that require a lengthy response, and instead, ask close ended questions which require a yes/no response. Maintain eye contact, do not interrupt, and reduce any language demands and time pressure.

Check into local SLP in your area to get an evaluation. Any experienced SLP should be able to give you tips to help him with an indirect approach, or if the stuttering is severe enough, she/he may recommend speech therapy.
Feel free to call my work number at Coastal Speech Therapy ###-###-#### if you need more help.
M.

A.,
I think I remember reading that it is quite common for kids to go through a stuttering phase. I wouldn't call any attention to it. If it continues, I would ask your pediatrician to recommend a speech evaluation for speech therapy. Good luck!

Hi! My son who is 3 went through the same thing around that age. It seems as though their brains work faster than their mouths. It really freaked my husband out since he has stuttered his whole life. I remember with my son it got worse when he was tired too. Encourage him to stop talking, take a deep breath and to slow down. It worked most of the time and he outgrew it within a month or so...no stuttering at all. Good luck. If you are really worried you can talk to your pediatrician about referring for speech therapy.

Get an appointment with a speech therapist ASAP. I saw a segment on TV about 4 years ago (Dateline or something like it) about a device that was worn like a hearing aid that significantly improved stuttering in adults. I don't know if it's appropriate for children. Good luck.

Just to be on the safe side, I would talk to your pediatrician. They might be able to refer you to a speech therapist. The speech therapist would know if it's anything to worry about. If there's anything going on it is easier to treat the earlier you start.

My daughter stuttered around the same age, maybe a bit closer to 3. But regardless, I have a couple of friends that are speech therapists and they both said that this is very common for this age. It has to do with the difference between the speed of the brain and mouth. It should fix itself. Like I said, my daughter stuttered around the same age & is now almost 7 & doesn't stutter & is doing very very well in school.

My daughter did the same thing, started sometime between 2 and 2 1/2. She turns 3 this month and no longer does it. While it was happening I was completely freaked out about it. She would even grab her mouth to cover it up while she was stuttering so it was stressing her out too. The advice I received was to ignore it, never point it out, and just wait patiently for her to finish whatever it was she was trying to say without changing my facial expression. They say it is becuase they are learning so much at a rapid rate. My freind's daughter recently went through the same thing - it is pretty common. Don't worry, it will pass :-)

the same thing happened with my son at two- he's 27 months now and also really advanced for his age, but the pediatrician assured us it was normal. He suggested that we look directly into his eyes when he was talking to us, and to not make a fuss or act differently toward him when the studdering happened. It litterally only took about 3 or 4 weeks for it to go away on its own. Don't worry- it's just a normal thing. Our pediatrician said that it may last until 3 years, and it is still within the range of normal. It could jsut mean that his brain is working faster than his mouth.
good luck!