In the heading «Ask an expert a question», our reader Ann asks:
«The child is 3.5 years old. He started talking early. But not so long ago we began to notice that he began to stutter. What could be the reason? Do I need to contact specialists or will it pass by itself?»
According to statistics, stuttering is observed in boys 4 times more often than in girls. Stuttering occurs most often during the formation of speech — in 3-4,5 years. One of its reasons may be the parents’ fascination with early speech development. The baby says a lot, which insanely pleases moms, dads and grandmothers. They are happy to try, let’s learn poems, songs. And the nervous system is not yet strong enough for such a speech attack.
In addition, stuttering can be transmitted from parents. Let’s say the child’s father stutters. If the baby inherits dad’s type of nervous system and life circumstances are unfavorable, then, unfortunately, the child will also stutter. By itself, stuttering is not inherited, the type of nervous system is transmitted.
The third common cause is psychotrauma. Because of this, a person may begin to stutter both in childhood or adolescence, and in adulthood.
If a child begins to stutter, it is almost always a signal that something is not well in his environment: either the mother is hysterical, then she is caressing, then punishing it is unclear for what; or the child is abandoned or, conversely, does not receive a refusal in anything, and so on.
How to understand that there is a problem
Parents should be alerted when a child speaks as if choking, at a fast pace, unintelligibly, repeats the first syllable: «pa-pa-pa», «ma-ma-ma», pushes the first sound in the word: «p-p-pa-pa», stretches the vowel sound at the beginning of the word «aaaaa mama», «aaaaa-pineapple». If you do not take measures in time, such speech behavior can develop into stuttering.
What to do?
Contact an experienced specialist who knows this problem not superficially: a speech therapist, neurologist, psychologist, psychiatrist. In a situation of severe stuttering, you should not be afraid of neurologist appointments. Properly selected medications can quickly relieve symptoms and normalize speech.
