By now the child who stammers may have been stammering for some time. Some children may stammer with obvious physical tension and some may have mild, infrequent non-fluencies such as repetitions and sound prolongations.

To speak fluently children need to: know lots of words, know how to put words together (grammar); think quickly of the “right word” or correct sentence to say what they mean; listen and understand what others say; learn which sounds we use in our language and how they are put together to form words. They also need to coordinate the movements for breathing and speaking. These skills are affected by how the child feels as well as by the demands placed on him. When the child feels: happy, confident, listened to, sure of the content etc.., then it is easier to speak well. When the child feels: upset, tired, unwell, over-excited, unimportant etc.., then speaking can be difficult. Depending on these factors breaks in fluency can be expected.

You are not the cause of your child’s stammering but you are the best people to help their talking get easier.