Fluency

Research has still not provided a specific reason for the appearance of stuttering in children. There is a great deal that is known about what can ease or aggravate stuttering for different children. Time pressures, complexity of language, normal social pressures, having a close relative who has difficulty with stuttering....all these may contribute to fluency issues.

When parents are concerned about repetitions or blocks in their child's speech an initial evaluation can help determine

Whether the frequency of dysfluency
The quality (type) of dysfluency
The overall interference in communication are an issue

Three general approaches are available:

Observe the child and provide parents strategies to ease dysfluent episodes
Provide a series of parent sessions to teach parents strategies specific to change situations that provoke dysfluency
More direct treatment sessions with child and parents to address specific stuttering behaviors