Are you worried that your child may have a speach problem? Come to a Screening Day at your local Family Center.
Three-year-old Judy sometimes repeats her syllables li-li-like this.
And she peppers her sentences with "uh" and "um"
often enough that her mother worries she’ll grow up to stutter, be
the object of snickers, or the brunt of cruel jokes.
Judy’s pediatrician is not alarmed, but that does not calm her
mother.
What her mother should understand is that many young children have
trouble selecting words, pronouncing some words, and completing
thoughts when they are learning to speak. They may use fillers such
as "um," "er," and "uh" and repeat
syllables and words. These are Judy’s symptoms, and they are common,
normal, and usually temporary.
Nobody knows for sure why. Some children have a hard time forming
certain sounds and coordinating and timing sequences of sounds into
flowing speech. Boys are three to four times more likely to stutter
than girls. And emotional stress may worsen a stuttering problem.
It is not unusual for a child to stutter when talking to an adult,
but not when speaking to a pet.
But several characteristics, if noticed in a child’s early speech,
should be brought to the attention of a specialist. Talk to a
specialist if your child repeats syllables or words three or four
times in a row, or frequently repeats weak vowel sounds, such as
"ah" in the word "around." A child who says
"go-go-goat" is likely to have less of a problem than a
child who says, "guh-guh-goat.”"
Stammering over initial sounds, such as "Mmmmmmommy,"
is another sign of possible concern. Tension in the small
muscles around the mouth and jaw when repetitions in speech occur
may indicate a serious problem. Another sign is if children become
upset when speaking, are afraid to speak, or avoid speaking at
all.
You can do several things to help. If you are concerned, see a
specialist. Never get angry at a child who has trouble speaking.
And don’t say, "talk slower," "take a deep breath"
or "relax." It doesn’t help.
Don’t finish a stuttering child’s sentences. Not only is that an
annoying habit, but it only reminds children that they are doing a
poor job speaking.
Listen to your stuttering child with all ears, no matter how
difficult it might be. Have conversations – two-way conversations, not
lectures – several times a day. Doing so tells your child you are
interested, builds your child’s confidence, and helps your child
relax.
This column is written by Robert B. McCall, Co-Director of the
Office of Child Development and Professor of Psychology, and is provided as a
public service by the Frank and Theresa Caplan Fund for Early Childhood Development
and Parenting Education.