- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- preschoolers today articles
- preschoolers today q&a
- children today articles
- children today q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Stuttering
When It Becomes a Problem By Kimberly Austin
Learning to connect thoughts with words can be a difficult process. Children often stumble over words, or say "uh," "um" and "er." Sometimes the problem develops into something more serious, such as a stuttering problem.
Ellen Kelly, an associate professor of speech and language pathology at Purdue University, says parents should be aware of certain signsthat may indicate a stuttering problem.
"If you hear things like, 'la-la-la-la-like that,' or 'I-I-I-I-I-I,' or 'm-m-m-m-mommy,' keep an eye on it. Even if it's very mild, just keep an eye on it," she says.
Parents also should look for facial grimaces, because children feel like the words are getting stuck in their throat or mouth when they stutter. Kelly says some kids say they have a frog in their throat when they stutter.
"The average age of onset is 4, and it tends to be earlier in girls than in boys," Kelly says. "This could be because girls develop language earlier than boys."
According to the Stuttering Foundation of America, stuttering affects four times as many males as females. But researchers, after years of testing, do not know what causes stuttering. They do believe that stuttering results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
"We think there is something inherited," Kelly says. "In at least 50 percent of people who stutter there is a strong family history of stuttering, especially in those people for whom it becomes chronic or long term."
Many people believe that a traumatic event or high stress can cause stuttering. Although it is unlikely, a traumatic event or stress could cause stuttering. "It is rare for stuttering to be caused by stress or trauma, but certainly that can trigger and exacerbate the stuttering," Kelly says.
The stress can be positive or negative. For example, positive stress like the excitement of a birthday party, people coming to visit or a vacation can trigger stuttering. Negative stress like a parent losing his job also can trigger stuttering.
