Stuttering

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Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff

Signs and symptoms of stuttering include:

  • Difficulty starting a word, sentence or phrase
  • Repetition of a sound, syllable or word

The speech difficulties of stuttering may be accompanied by:

  • Rapid eye blinks
  • Tremors of the lips or jaw
  • Tension, tightness or movement of the face or upper body

When to see a doctor
Many children stutter when they are learning to talk; it's common for kids between the ages of 2 and 5 to stutter. For most, the stuttering goes away on its own.

Call your child's doctor for an appointment if stuttering:

  • Lasts more than six months
  • Becomes more frequent
  • Occurs along with facial tension or tightness
  • Occurs with other facial or body movements
  • Affects your child's schoolwork or social interactions
  • Causes emotional problems, such as fear or avoidance of situations in which your child has to talk
  • Continues beyond age 5 or first becomes noticeable in early school age, when your child begins reading aloud in school
References
  1. Ropper AH, et al. Normal development and deviations in development of the nervous system. In: Ropper AH, et al. Adams and Victor's Principles of Neurology. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3634622. Accessed July 12, 2009.
  2. Prasse JE, et al. Stuttering: An overview. American Family Physician. 2009;77:1271.
  3. Stuttering. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/stutter.htm. Accessed July 11, 2009.
  4. Stuttering. American Speech-Language Hearing Association. http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/stuttering.htm. Accessed July 11, 2009.
  5. 7 tips for talking with your child. The Stuttering Foundation. http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=632. Accessed July 12, 2009.

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Sept. 12, 2009

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