Stuttering, or stammering, is a speech disorder affecting the rhythm and flow of speech. Children with this condition know what they want to say but difficulty articulating it at the moment. Characteristics of stuttering include:
- Repetitions of sounds or words
(e.g. "C-c-c-car" or "I-I-I-I-I-I want to go now!") - Prolongation of sounds
(e.g. "ggggggive me!") - Pauses with no sound
(e.g. "Wha--------t do you think?")
Sometimes, stuttering is accompanied by physical tension or signs of struggle, causing the child to appear anxious. Stuttering typically emerges between ages two to five, a period marked by rapid vocabulary development and the formation of complete sentences. Some degree of stuttering at this stage can be normal.