Couple weeks ago, my son (33 months) started repeating syllables in a word few times a day. Gradually, he started doing that more. Now a day, his stuttering ranges from slight-moderate-severe. His repetitions of syllables range from 2 times to 15 times. Sometimes, he repeats each syllable in every word in a phrase. Physically, he is very active kid and he is a quick learner too. Just before this stuttering started he started talking lot of words and making sentences. Now, the same sentences he cannot say it without stuttering. It is very hard to watch him going through that. I feel I am so helpless. I talked to the pediatrician; he suggested that we should get him evaluated just to be on the safe side because he is repeating syllables not the words. I notice that he does not stutter when he is singing or when he talks aloud (ex: when he calls for his dad, "Dad, Where are you?” Does anybody have same experience? Any suggestions?
I remember my son doing very much the same thing at that age, or even a little later. I learned that different types of stuttering mean different things, so it's worth it to have it evaluated. I want mostly to tell you that he quickly grew out of it and is perfectly fine! He had so much he wanted to say and process that he couldn't keep up with his thoughts. I wish you well.
If this is something that has been going on for a long time or has gotten worse, then I would go to the doctor. My daughter who is about 37 months old has had two phases of stuttering. They seemed to be that she was going through some sort of growth/milestone/development. I asked her Ped. about it and he said she is obviously bright and a quick learner and sometimes her speech just can't keep up with her brain. Sometimes that happens to us adults also. I know I get tongue-tied sometimes, just think about how fast they are learning. Trying to get out their words when they are excited can be tough. Both of her phases were probably around a month and then all of a sudden just dissappear one day. (it seems after her stuttering phase she can do some sort of milestone like talking in bigger sentences or riding a scooter) Good luck to you, but I wouldn't worry too much about it!
I am now a distant mom (I helped raise my niece and nephew but now they are full-time with my sister). I was mainly around the kids when they were months old till about 4-5 years old. During the final weeks of their stay with me, my nephew started stuttering repeating whole words. Wasn't a severe case I would consider it a mild to moderate case. We Attributed it to the emotinal stress of knowing his enviroment was gonna be changing soon. We seeked no help at this time. Months later on a regular visit to my sister I noticed his stuttering got worse. Not only was it happening more often but now it wasn't only the whole word but he would get stuck on syllable's. I brought this to the attention of my sister and she kinda got offended and used the whole "no my kid is fine reasoning" Having said that kuddos to you for being able to take a step back and acknowledge that there is a problem b/c many times parents are in denial that something is wrong with their child. Nonetheless another year passed (with me constantly telling my sister something is wrong he is still stuttering but it's been a year and a half since they've been with you)before my sister came into the real world and admitted my nephew had a problem. We have seeked help and my nephew goes to speech thereapy now twice a week. But it hasn't been easy. Kids make fun of him at school and his moral has gone down b/c he knows better. He knows that he is different. My advice to you is go to your ped and ask if they know of a speech therapist b/c the longer you wait the more involved and more difficult this can become. Good luck!
My son just turned 4 lat month and is having the same problem. My first son went through this too but it cleared up in a couple months. At the moment I'm not concerned about it because my first son did it and he was fine after a couple months. I think if it goes on for longer than a couple months or gets worse to seek the advice of a doctor but otherwise, I think he'll grow out of it. I had talked to some of my friends at the time my first son was doing it and they had similar experiences with their sons.
Yes!!!!!!! Our son started stuttering around 3 yrs. We took him to Northwestern. They have a great speech clinic.
Early intervention is so important. I thought he was "cured" after that... Then we moved to the suburbs when he was 8 & it came back. I was devasted. We went back to Northwestern & lucky for us the Speech Therapist at our son's school was a Northwestern graduate.
Happy to say today his speech is perfect.. you would never know that he was a stutterer as a young child. It did last several years & it can be heartbreaking to watch your child struggle and be fearful of how other children respond to it.
I would be happy to talk to you further about my experiences. I know how it feels.
Call me J. ###-###-####
My son stuttered off and on and two different times around 24 mo and then again around 30mo. Our doctor said it's common for kids, especially boys, to go through periods of stuttering as their brains develop. Especially as they make big leaps...in vocabulary, in moving to full sentences..both instances lasted a month, a couple of weeks and then it went away. He is 4 now and talks fine.
Even though he's not stuttering when calling for Dad or singing, you are obviously worried. I suggest taking your peditrician's advice and getting him evaluated by a state program called Early Interventions. They will come out to your home and evaluate him and if he qualifies for services it is based on your insurance and/or income. I had my daughter evaluated for physical delays and even though she didn't have a huge delay, they were very helpful in giving me advice and things I can do with her to help her.
I have a grandson who is four years old and he stutters, his parents are having him to take speech therapy. It could be a generational problem, but help him to slow down and say his words correctly and build his self-esteem in all that you do and say to him.
My daughter started doing something similar around the same age. It seemed like she had so much to say, and tried to say it so fast, that it just didn't come out right...it was more of a stutter. It did go away, I used to just have her slow down and tell me again.
But, if it seems to be more than that, definitely take your doctors advice
I agree with your peds doc. Get him evaluated right away. Even if it is just a phase, your mind will be put at ease and you will only have lost a few hours of time. If you doc didn't get you the numbers to call to schedule the screening, let me know. I have been through all of this before. Because of his age, you want to do it asap. If you do it before 36 mos old the state will pay for the eval and services. At the very least, you can find out if he needs services and get a plan in place before he turns 3, at which time he can/should get services through your school district. If you have questions or need phone numbers, let me know.
Stuttering can be a completely normal phase of development at that age. You can certainly have him evaluated for peace of mind but your best bet is to hold out for a month or so unless it gets worse. Chances are it will go away on its own. http://www.babycenter.com/404_how-can-i-tell-if-my-child-...
