Incidence & Prevalence of Stuttering in Children

A stutter is easily recognized as it causes the affected individual to insert unnecessary syllables into individual words or phrases. This condition is likely to hinder confidence, especially in young children, as it makes speaking in social situations an added stress, due to the reaction of a child's peers.

The Facts

• Less than 10 percent of all children stutter for a significant period of time, and most naturally grow out of the condition. If you find that your child stutters for longer than six months, you may want to look into treatment as the condition can worsen if the child starts receiving negative attention from peers.

Identification

• Several factors are linked to stuttering. High stress at home or in school can cause children to develop a stutter or stammer. Genetics can also play a role in the development of a stutter. If an immediate family member has a significant stutter, it's more likely that your child will develop one. The development of the brain may also cause a child to stutter as some children process speech patterns in less common areas of the brain than others.

Solution

• Many children can overcome a stutter by focusing less on the stutter itself. By focusing on the stutter, it puts more pressure on the person and can actually cause the stutter to worsen. Speech therapy is also a very effective method of controlling or eliminating the stutter. Some doctors may prescribe medication to help with the stammer, but this method is less commonly used than others.