h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My 3 year old is having some problems sometimes when he speaks. He often has to repeat the first syllable quite a lot before he can tell us what he wants to say. Is this something to be concerned about, or is there anything that we can do at this early stage to try to mitigate the effects? Neither me nor my wife stammer, so I don't think there is anything inherited about his speaking. It's a bit of a worry for us, though.

Woodpigeon

Hi Woodpigeon,

Can I ask if there's any times when it happens more than others? Like when your son is excited, or nervous? Or does it seem totally random?

I don't think it's anything to be too seriously concerned about. Many children of this age go through a short period of getting stuck on words.
I think it's when they start constructing longer sentences, they sometimes get stuck on the first syllable until they have completed the sentence in thier mind.

There is some fantastic advice on http://www.stammering.org for parents with children under 5. I recommend you go take a look.

I don't believe stammering is hereditary in any way, and speech therapy at any age can help overcome it.
In later life it's mainly caused by nervousness, but at 3 years old, I think your son is too young to feel too much of that.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

Simon the

I just had a proper read up on that site myself, and it seems that nervousness has very little to do with it at all.

Oh and it is often hereditary too.

Seems that the advice they give is to get any child immediatley seen by a speech therapist, just to be on the safe side. It's much easier to 'cure' in younger children if caught early enough.

Hey, thanks for that Simon. I will take a look at that website as soon as I can. I have started to travel regularly to the US on for a few days each time, and he also moved into a creche part-time after having been at home with his mum for a while. We started noticing it around then, so I hope it hasn't been my not being there which has started it.

It appears random, but I was out on a photography field trip yesterday evening, and my wife told me his stammering was really bad when I was away.

Thanks a lot for your reply - you have given me lots of food for thought.

Woodpigeon

One thing that site repeats is that it's never the parents fault if a child begins to stammer. So please don't beat yourself up over it too much.

They recommend you spend at least 5 minutes, three times a week, just talking with your son with no interruptions. So try and fit this in.

I guess your son may feel a little left out because he's not seeing so much of you both recently, he probably got used to having you both around so much and could explain why he is rushing to get his words out when he's with you. Talk as slowly and clearly as you can with him, giving him your full attention and showing him that you are interested in what he has to say.

Try not to show you are worried about his stammering, or he may pick up on that, and think he's doing something wrong.

It sounds like he is just a little insecure beacuse his routine has changed quite dramtically. If you both reasure him as much as you can I'm sure it will sort itself out in due course. But it's worth mentioning to you doctor or health visitor, just to be on the safe side.