3 year old and stuttering

[soccermama]

My DS just turned 3 not too long ago and has been stuttering a lot more than normal. It all started right around the Thanksgiving holiday - every other day or so. We would calmly say "slow down, sweetie - it's okay". And then he would eventually get out what he needed to say. But now, it's just about every other thing that he's trying to get out of his little mouth, we say the same thing as before, tell him to tak his time, that he doesn't need to rush, etc.,

Has your LO - 3 years old, younger, older, been through this? Is it common for this age group?

I know he has SO much to say and his mind is racing a million times a second, but it's just not in sync with his little mouth. He doesn't get frustrated with it all, either, which is certainly a good thing.

Any advice, suggestions?

[reezley]

Yes, it's common. DS1 did this, his cousin of the same age too. Maybe don't mention every time about slowing down, etc., and just have a patient look on your face and listen and wait. Something that helped us (me) too was for ME to remember to talk slowly too. I think my ds tried to talk like me and I talk fast, and often did so because I had a lot to do (ds2 was a baby) and didn't feel I had much time to talk. So it really made me slow everything down which I think he needed. All that to say..... don't worry, just talk slowly, listen slowly, and see how it goes, should be fine.

[Murihiku]

Yes, my son stuttered for about three or four months starting at 3.5 and he grew out of it.

[nextcommercial]

Isn't that the most annoying thing in the world?????

It drives me NUTS.

But, soon, you will be thinking about it and realize he has either stopped completely, or it's gotten much better and you don't even notice it anymore.

Some kids start at early as 2 1/2. But, three is the most common age for it. It doesn't last too long. Just long enough to make you wish he'd outgrow it sooner.

I know one boy who stuttered backwards. LMAO. He'd say "I was watching-atching tv-v and I saw a show-ow about a Gorilla-illa" It was the funniest thing too. Ive never seen that before. He didn't start it til he was six, and outgrew it by the time he was eight.

[Drummer's Wife]

common for my son. He's almost 6 now and does not stutter anymore. For awhile it was pretty bad. I encouraged him to slow down/calm down and of course modeled the proper way to speak. It was when he was 3.5-4 ish. when it was the worst.

[Jessy1019]

My son will be 3 in two weeks, and he has been doing this for awhile now -- maybe a few months? It seems to be lessening a lot recently, but being tired or excited can bring it out again.

I don't think it's actual stuttering -- it's just disfluency -- and it's very normal. I've noticed my son's friend (six months older) doing it, too.

[A&A]

First of all, do NOT say "slow down." That will just make your child self-conscious, which makes the stuttering worse.

But DO slow down YOUR rate of speech when you talk around him, because subconsciously he's trying to talk as fast as you do.

Get down on his level and touch his arm while he's talking. Then he knows that he has your undivided attention.

And, if it continues, please consider perhaps seeing a speech therapist. Speech therapy did wonders for my son's stuttering.

[tinuviel_k]

Oh yes, quite normal. :-) My daughter did this quite a bit between ages 3.5 and 4.5/. it seemed like her brain had too many words pouring out and her mouth couldn't handle the flow!

She stopped after age 4.5 years old, and it hasn't been a problem for the last year at all.

[P-chan]

The Stuttering Foundation of America (http://www.stutteringhelp.org/) has some checklists for different age groups to help differentiate between age-appropriate vs. more problematic disfluency. My son's stuttering was helped immensely with speech therapy (starting at age 4, lasted about 10 months), and now at 5.5 he rarely has any disfluency at all.

[Eliseatthebeach]

Yes, my oldest dd stuttered around the same age. She also had speech and overall developmental delays. Her speech therapist said it was very normal and NOT TO CORRECT HER! She said this was very important and that she would likely outgrow it. As annoying as it was and difficult to not correct, we did as she suggested and sure enough the stuttering seemed to disappear as fast as it appeared.

[LynnS6]

While it's normal, if it goes on for more than about 6 weeks, if it worsens, or if he begins to visibly struggle regularly, I'd have him evaluated and see if you can get him in speech therapy. More recent research suggests that 'wait and see' isn't always the best course.

[neptunemama]

DD2 stuttered around 2 1/2 till 3 or a little later. She too had so much to say and she couldn't speak fast enough to get it all out. I can't remember when she finally stopped, perhaps by 3 1/2, definitely by 4.

[gingerstar]

I've been reading Your Three Year Old and she mentioned that this is very common at three, and usually just a developmental stage that passes.

But I'd listen to Lynn, too.

[MtBikeLover]

I completely agree with Lynn. My DS stuttered as well around 3 and I did tons of research on it. There is a difference between disfluency and true stuttering. My son had true stuttering. We got him into speech therapy immediately and within 4-5 months, the stuttering was down to a minimum. Now, at 6, I never hear him stutter. I am a big proponent of speech therapy for stuttering and most insurance plans cover the cost.

I also agree with the others that say not to tell him to slow down. If you do a google search, you will find lots of good info on how to deal with stuttering and what to change on your end. For us, we got much calmer at home, slowed down our speech, talked quieter, and stopped giving complex explanations to his questions.