Most common in our precious preschoolers, as they make the leap from simple word combinations to complex sentences.
While stuttering can be a normal phase of development, I like to think of ongoing stuttering as a symptom of overload. Our little ones are learning so much so fast, and there are so many things to manage when communicating. When that load gets too much, words can start to get stuck.
This makes our little stutterers the figurative canary’s in the mine. Sensitive to all the little things happening around them and showing us in their stuttering behaviour. Fatigue, big emotions, hunger, illness, sensory processing, stress, competition to talk, diet, allergies and more can all cause overload and a worsening of your child’s stuttering behaviours.
While we don’t 100% know what causes stuttering, we do know how to treat it, and understanding your child and their unique sensitivity, is in my experience, absolutely vital to the treatment process. This is why, in my use of the most proven treatment The Lidcombe Program, I also teach you how to understand these hidden needs and support your child through them. When done well, stuttering treatment can become an amazing tool for understanding and connecting with your child on a deeper level as you guide them back to stutter free speech.