Children between the ages of two and five commonly experience periods of stuttering. And boys are three times more likely to stutter than girls. But that doesn't mean there's no hope. There's a lot you can do to help your child from becoming a life-long stutterer. During speech development, many children display disfluency, which is speaking with hesitations, interruptions or disruptions.
Some disfluency is of more concern that others.
Even given these descriptions, it's difficult for a parent to know if the child is stuttering. That's why it is important to talk to your pediatrician or other health care expert, like those in the Hearing and Speech Clinic at Children's Mercy, if you are concerned. It's best to investigate these matters before the stuttering becomes ingrained. Jacobsen says normal disfluency occurs in a child two to five years of age when the child is tired, excited or talking about complex matters. Most children occasionally prolong and repeat sounds.