Do all toddlers stutter?

[HeatherB]

Okay, I know there's no "all" in development, but I'm trying to remember if this is normal - which I think it is.

My DS is 2.5, and the most verbal of my boys at this age. For a while, I could understand everything he said very clearly. Then, he seemed to expand his vocabulary substantially, and it's hard to always know. Now, in the last week especially, I'm finding him *very* often stuttering or repeating words or parts of words over and over. Like "I I I I am am am pwaying wiv my boat boat boat." Sometimes it feels like he's trying to get his thoughts together and ends up repeating things as he's looking for the correct next word. But, it's been really consistent (not every time he speaks, but quite a bit) so it's getting my attention.

Are other toddlers doing this, too? I have a feeling it's a normal developmental issue but I always wonder.

[Nicole730]

DS has not done that yet, but he is not speaking in sentences like that either.

[AmyKT]

My best friend's DS does this. It seems more common among boys. He is 3.5 and she has decided to take him in for a consult, just to see what the therapist says. I don't think it has happened yet. At 2.5, I'd be willing to wait it out a little longer to see if he outgrows it. In my bf's DS case, it kept getting worse instead of better. He has also been highly verbal from a very young age.

[moobiegirl]

My son does it. He's 3.5 now, but it goes through spurts. Sometimes its really noticable and other times its not. Most of the time when it's really bad he's also growing in some other way (growth spurt, more risky, etc). The doctor is not worried and as a parent I'm not concerned either. However, if your concerned it might be worth it to bring it up.

[walking burp cloth]

Oh good topic!!
My ds has been doing a bit of this just recently.... but more like stammering. He does it with "w" words, "m" words, and often when he says "you". His vocabulary has also recently taken off and he is otherwise speaking very clearly (where as 3 or 4 months ago it was REALLY hard to understand what he was saying). and he is speaking in some sentences. I have been a little worried, because his sister never did this, and when I was first married to his dad, he also stammered a bit. Plus we are in the middle of relocating across the country, so I thought mabye the stress of that had something to do with it? I am going to give it some time before I take him to any sort of speach theripist or anything. I think that sometimes their little brains just go faster than their mouths can go.
Sorry, I am not much help. We are dealing with this also, and I am also wondering if it is normal.

[HeatherB]

Stammering is a good word for it. I'm not really concerned at this point (though I have this very vague thought that stuttering or stammering can be related to something else, and I have no idea what), but it is kind of sad as other people don't understand what he's doing and then can't hear what he's saying.

[serenbat]

both of mine talked in complete sentences prior to the second b-day and I have been around quite a few children and I would have to say no

none at all here and I know of none that stutter, I have only ever know one person (knew since age 4) who stuttered and it was an emotional related condition, when he was excited or worked up

as a general rule, no

[verde]

My DD has a wide vocabulary. She started stammering when she turned 4 y/o. It just started suddenly and was pretty intense for awhile and then slowly tapered off. She still does it occasionally. Someone told me that toddlers/preschoolers often go through a phase like this because their mouths literally cannot keep up with their brains. It's certainly what it seemed like to me. If my DD is any indication of what's happening with your DS then I suggest you relax and wait for awhile. It may very well pass.

[LCBMAX]

I've just been thinking about this too - son will be 2.5 in august, very verbal, and initially very clear enunciation. For about 2 months now, I've been noticing him playing with pronunciations and doing them "wrong" on purpose for fun ("Mama mooooook NOW!" for milk), as well as getting them wrong by accident, even when he used to say them correctly. This week, he's got a new demand: "Mama, tell me the next word." and then he wants it in english, french and spanish. Tonight I see him pausing and working so hard to use the new words or describe the meaning when he's forgotten the word itself, and that becomes a kind of stammering. Example "This guy is called a... c ...c.... c.... construction block. It makes the cars not ...............(long silence) f.... f.... f... fall in the hole." But I reassure myself that the stammering is for new or curious words or regular words amidst a complex sentence or new thought.

[dogretro]

It's normal. DD1 recently developed a horrible stutter to the point that dh looked it up online. I was not worried about it b/c I have a degree in kids, but he was. I only know that he looked it up b/c he left the page open on the comp. The site also said it was normal. It's just one of those developmental things. If dd1 still has it at 2.5, then I will bring it up to the dr b/c that will make it six months. DD1 just turned two & has been highly verbal her whole life. She is also able to purposely mispronounce words (in a silly voice, even!). DH and I never mention it to her & go about our days as normal. Once in a while I can tell that it frustrates her, but she gets thru it. We always wait patiently for her to finish what she has to say.

[Peony]

It is normal. DD2 stuttered when she was 2 for several months. Her brain and mouth were having issues keeping up with each other, eventually the stuttering stopped.

[HeatherB]

I do think it's the brain/mouth connection that's not keeping up. When he's talking slowly or knows just what he should be saying, he doesn't do it. It's when he's excited (which is a lot!) that he tends to do it. Glad to see others have a similar experience!

[angelachristin]

it happened to my son around that age. we worried and before we could even worry too much, it stopped. it lasted only a few weeks. i think it's totally normal.

[AislinCarys]

DD is 2 years 4 months and very talkative, speaking in long, complicated sentences. But I've noticed recently that she does exactly that! She'll repeat a word several times before continuing with the sentence, or sometimes go back to the beginning and start again. She doesn't seem to do it much when repeating learnt stuff, i.e. reciting "The very hungry caterpillar" or Hairy Maclary, or acting out scenes from films, like Pippi Longstocking. It is usually when she makes things up herself.

[slgt]

DD was a very early talker (full sentences by 16 months), and went through some significant stuttering around 20 months, it lasted I think for up to a couple of months. She will periodically go through phases of a few days, still, when she is undergoing some type of milestone. I.e. developing imaginative play, changing from responsive to initiating conversation, telling stories, etc.

[rightkindofme]

I haven't seen stuttering, but I have seen a lot of stammering. She's trying to put her thoughts together and just isn't sure where she wants the sentence to go yet.

[ellemenope]

Stuttering started about 2 weeks ago (24 months). She is also quite loquacious for her age.

It is really bad.

"I-I-I-I-I-I..."

"It-it-it-it-it..."

That is really about it, but if you can imagine like 50% of her sentences start that way.

It is particularly annoying when she is upset and trying to argue with me. This is when it usually occurs. It also occurs a lot when she is excited (usually when we are reading non-fiction books about her favorite subjects.)

I would love to know how long this usually lasts.

[HeatherB]

Thanks for bumping this! I need to pay a bit more attention, as I may just be more used to it now, but I think it's pretty much stopped. My MIL has been here so I've been having to listen and translate often, and I don't recall the stuttering being in the mix. Whew. Glad for things to come in stages and then go!