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Stuttering: What Are the Major Causes, Types and Symptoms of Stuttering?

Have you noticed your child stuttering recently? Are you afraid it will grow worse? You’ll be happy to learn that according to a study published in American Family Physician, about 75 percent of preschoolers spontaneously recover on their own after about four years.

However, sometimes it can be hard to determine whether your child needs speech therapy or not.  

Read on to learn about the main stuttering causes and how you can decide whether your child needs speech therapy or not. 

What Is Stuttering? 

Stuttering is categorized as a speech disorder. It’s characterized by repeated words and sounds. People who stutter also experience halted and uneven speech. 

Children who deal with stuttering into their adulthood also have to deal with other symptoms that develop from stress, such as: 

  • Refusal to speak
  • Tense tone of voice
  • Anger or frustration when trying to speak
  • Tension in the face, lips, or upper body
  • Drawing out sounds in an attempt to stop stuttering
  • Rearranging words in sentences

If you’ve noticed your child starting to stutter when they’re between the ages of two and six, you’ll be happy to learn that most cases of stuttering go away as children get older. 

What Are the Causes of Stuttering? 

There are three different known types of stuttering that have different causes. They are: 

Developmental 

This kind of stuttering typically resolves without treatment. It’s usually developed in male children under the age of five. This is when children are still learning their speech and language skills. 

Neurogenic

Stroke and traumatic brain injury are the main causes of neurogenic stuttering. With neurogenic stuttering, the brain is having trouble coordinating the regions involved with speech. 

Psychogenic

This is the rarest kind of stuttering. It’s characterized by the rapid repetition of sounds or the beginning of words. This occurs in adults the most frequently who have experienced emotional trauma or psychological issues. 

Does My Child Need Speech Therapy? 

Since children can develop developmental stuttering that can go away on its own, it can be difficult to decide whether your child needs speech therapy or not. It’s normal to now want your child to feel different from their peers. 

If you notice the stuttering persisting for six to 12 months or you have a family history of stuttering, it’s important that you take your child in to be assessed by your physician. They’ll be able to accurately assess the severity of your child’s stuttering and whether it’s normal, mild, or severe. 

In the case of mild or severe stuttering, early intervention is the best way to help them so that they aren’t dealing with stuttering into their adulthood. 

The Stuttering Foundation provides a helpful resource to determine whether your child’s stuttering is normal or if they’ll need therapy for stuttering.  

Stuttering Causes: Nothing to Fear

If your child’s stuttering has been keeping you up at night, there’s nothing to fear. Stuttering causes are more often than not developmental that will be resolved naturally over time. However, if you suspect that your child’s stuttering may not be going away on its own, don’t hesitate to contact your physician and have your child assessed. 

Want to learn more ways to help your child have a happy life? Keep reading our blog for more informative articles.