Stuttering

Stuttering is a fluency of speech disorder. Instead of a child saying, “I would like some ice cream.” They may say, “I wuuu-wuuu liiii-liiiike some ice creeeee…am.”  

Stuttering is most commonly diagnosed in children from the ages of 2 to 5, and the disorder typically fades by age 5. However, it is also not unusual for a stutter to linger on longer for one reason or another.  

If your child has been struggling with a stutter and it is starting to impact their daily life, it may be time to consult with one of our speech-language therapists at Skills on the Hill in Washington, DC, or Arlington, VA.  

How can speech therapy help my child’s stutter? 

When your child arrives for the initial evaluation, a speech-language therapist will conduct an examination to determine the best possible treatment plan. The therapist will work with your child in a relaxed and friendly setting on a series of exercises. The therapist may recommend one or more sessions per week, depending on your child’s needs.  

Speech therapy exercises can range from tasks that strengthen the muscles of the face, tongue, and throat to vocabulary development and even basic communication skills like making eye contact when speaking to others.  

The development of specific therapy goals, activities, and home exercise plans will depend on where your child is developmentally. In addition, by keeping up with regular appointments with a speech therapist, the exercises and focus may change or adjust to help better meet your child’s needs and manage his or her stuttering disorder.