Look for Risk Factors:
- a family history of stuttering
- stuttering that has continued for 6 months or longer
- presence of other speech or language disorders
- strong fears or concerns about stuttering on the part of the child or the family
No single factor can be used to predict whether a child will continue to stutter. The combination of these factors can help SLPs determine whether treatment is indicated.
Source: http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/stuttering/
Warning Signs for Persistent Stuttering from StutteringHelp.org:
- A parent, sibling, or other family member who still stutters
- Stuttering starts after age 3 ½
- Stuttering has been occurring for at least 6 months
- Preschooler is a male
- The child has other speech sound errors or trouble being understood
- The child’s language skills are advanced, delayed, or disordered
Source: http://www.stutteringhelp.org/risk-factors
How Long to Wait
Mark Onslow of the Australian Stuttering Research Centre recommends that the speech therapist should monitor the child for signs of natural recovery for about 6 months but no longer. Onslow explains that other reasons a speech therapist may want to begin therapy sooner include:
- the child becomes distressed about the stuttering
- the stuttering is causing social problems or psychological issues
Source: http://www.nevdgp.org.au/info/std_misc/StutteringPreschoolers.pdf
How to Stop Stuttering in Preschoolers, What Therapy is Best?
Although there have been many different types of stuttering therapy over the years, a systematic review in 2006 by Bothe, et. al. found that the response-contingency approach was most effective treatment approach for children who stutter.
Find out More about Response Contingency:
How to Stop Stuttering in Preschoolers: Current Research-Based Methods
