Stuttering, also known as stammering, is a physical speech disorder where the rhythm and flow of speech is disrupted. The child knows what he or she wants to say but experiences difficulty saying it at that specific moment. Stuttering is characterised by:
- Repetitions of sounds or words (e.g. “C-c-c-car” or “I-I-I-I-I-I want to go now!”)
- Prolongation of sounds (e.g. “ggggggive me!”)
- Pauses whereby no sound is heard
- (e.g. “Wha--------t do you think?”)
At times, stuttering may be accompanied by signs of physical tension or struggle. As such, the child can appear anxious.
Stuttering often occurs at ages 2 to 5. During this time, the child may have a vocabulary spurt and will start to put words together to form sentences. It is natural for a child to stutter sometimes at this stage.