Stuttering

[prenses]

My 2.5 years old son was talking very clearly. People were so suprised how clearly he was talking and how much vocabulary he had. He woke up one morning and started stuttering and first day it was mild. This is the sixth day and its pretty severe. I am so worried.We had a very stresful year I wonder if this has anything to do with it.I need some advice and reassurance ps help:(

[bandgeek]

My DS developed a stutter a little later than that, about 4 1/2 years of age.  It can be very normal, developmentally, to stutter periodically from time to time before 3-4 years of age.  It still can't hurt to get him checked out though.  Being under 3, you could call early intervention.  I think it's almost always free.

Even with my DS being past the age where it's a normal part of development, I was told that therapy is not likely need and we could re-evaluate later.  Most cases of stuttering resolve eventually with or without therapy.

In the meantime I just try to be very patient with DS and don't try to complete words or sentences for him.  I don't bring up the stuttering because I don't want him to feel self-conscious.

[pbjmama]

This can be really common, often happens when they have a big word explosion or start forming complex sentences. If you do a search in this forum for stuttering I think you will feel better.

[nickysan]

My DD did exactly the same thing around 2yo, she too was very advanced with her speech, first word at 8months, by 2 full complicated sentences. I was really distraught about it, convinced it was my fault, that it was permanent etc. It developed in exactly the same way that your sons has, over a period of about a week getting progressively worse until she was actually saying to me mummy I can't talk. The good news is that it has completely gone now, I got a lot of advice and the position of the health visitors etc was that it was normal part of development etc. Personally I do believe that it was related to stress as we too were having a difficult time at that point. It went the same way it came, gradually getting better over a period of days until it was gone, then occasionally happening again but less extreme, the whole phase (coming and going) lasted around 3 months now she's 21/2, there is no sign of it. Try not to worry about it too much, I'm sure it will pass, from what Ive read, a stutter that begins before 4 is extremely unlikely to be permanent. Good luck

[Pumpkin_Pie]

My son too had a few months of stuttering. It got to the point where he would also shut down and say "I can't talk", and would often end in tears.  He was a VERY early talker and was nearly conversational by the time he was 2.  Definitely speaking in full, very clearly enunciated sentences, and then suddenly around 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 he started stuttering.  I did get early intervention involved, and they just did an evaluation, but decided that he was just developing faster than his mouth would go and said to just let it go.  I did, and now at 3 and 3/4, he is speaking like a six year old, easily.  No signs of stuttering at all anymore.  Hang in there mama, it will likely pass soon.

[prenses]

Thank you everyone.