Communication Disorders

Childhood-onset Fluency Disorder (Stuttering)

Childhood-onset fluency disorder, or stuttering, is common in young children as they are developing, often affecting the fluency of their speech. Developmental stuttering is part and parcel of a child’s development, but sometimes the stuttering persists and becomes inappropriate for the child’s age. They often find themselves having difficulties saying what they want to say.

Interruptions to speech is fairly common in younger children, however when such dysfluencies persist it could potentially lead to limitations in communication, academics, and social functioning.

Signs of Stuttering 

The main warning sign that a child is stuttering is if there is a disturbance in the normal fluency and patterning of speech, persisting for over 6 months. This is often inappropriate for their age and language skills and have occurred over a significant period of time. It is also observed that the child is anxious about speaking or has difficulties with communication, social participation, and academic performance.

Symptoms of stuttering include:

Ψ Sound and syllable repetitions (e.g., ma-ma-ma-mummy)
Ψ Prolonging the sound of consonants as well as vowels (e.g., mmmmummy)
Ψ Audible or silent blocking, such as pauses in speech
Ψ Substitution of certain words to avoid them
Ψ Words pronounced with physical tension

Stuttering may also be accompanied by certain motor movements, such as the eye blinking, tics, head jerking, fist clenching, and tremors of the lips/jaw.

Stuttering can also be a symptom of other disorders, such as Tourette’s syndrome. It can also be caused by other speech-motor or sensory deficits or neurological conditions (e.g., trauma or stroke).

Risk factors

Childhood-onset fluency disorder typically within the ages ranging from 2 to 7 years old.

It is observed that children who have relatives who stutter, have symptoms of stuttering that continue for longer than 6 months post onset, have high self-expectations or experience stress within the family tend to face an increased risk of stuttering.
 

The importance of early diagnosis

Early diagnosis and intervention will minimize difficulties developing in other areas of functioning and well-being. Intervention will involve supporting the child in overcoming the dysfluency, such as avoiding certain words, increase confidence when speaking in public, and the ability to express oneself. If left unaddressed, stuttering could lead to communication difficulties, bullying or withdrawal from social situations, emotional difficulties, and anxiety/depression in adulthood.

Management of Stuttering

An assessment by a speech therapist is first conducted, and this is followed by a multimodal-intervention plan to develop adaptive communication skills and improve fluency of speech.