Toddler possibly stuttering?

Cherokeekid88

Cherokeekid88

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2007
Location
High Point, NC
So my wife and I have noticed recently that our 2.5 year old is potentially stuttering a little bit usually when asking a question. For example it might go something like this.. “ WWWWWe go outside?” Or “YYYYou like this too?” So it’s always the first word of the sentence or question when it happens and she might go a whole week without tripping over her words and then it’s all of a sudden it will happen. We try to correct her in a positive way but she usually always ends up getting upset (not to the point of crying, but you can tell she is either embarrassed or her feelings are hurt) and we try to explain to her that we aren’t mad, we just want her to think about what she’s saying before she says it. From what I’ve read, this seems to be the age where kids are trying to expand their vocabulary and they just get tripped up over their words in trying to speak. Anyone else go through this? What did you do? Is it something that just needs to run it’s course?
 
Is this your first child? I ask because my wife and I freaked out about our first child not speaking. We brought in a speech therapist and all. Turns out if we had just given it tine everything would have been just fine (now she won’t STOP talking haha). I would give it some time, maybe talk to a speech therapist for some tricks and tips
 
Is she the only child you have? My son had some speech issues at that age and then just before preschool we go him to a speech therapist and it cleared it up in just a few weeks. From what the therapist told us its common in kids that are only children to have minor speech issues.
 
Yes, first child. I know it will probably work itself out, she’s just always been so smart and we felt like she has always been a little advanced (could just us being biased) and not that stuttering reflects intelligence, but just want to try and nip this before it becomes an issue. I have also noticed that when she stumbles at the beginning of a sentence , we will ask her to repeat what she just said and she most always whispers it and it’s perfect.
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
she’s just always been so smart and we felt like she has always been a little advanced (could just us being biased) and not that stuttering reflects intelligence,
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You're right, speech issues don't have anything to do with intelligence. There are a lot of people that speak great but are complete dumbasses, look at congress, lol.
 
I went to a speech therapist when I was young. Best thing I ever did, as today it helps me pronounce things that others struggle with. Also helped with word definitions and spelling things that you hear and don’t know.

Didn’t help at all with my writing or grammar skills. Lol.

A close friends child had stutter issues develop at an older age, and found out it was anxiety. Short version, the kid would stutter when anxious about what he was trying to say and fearful of doing wrong. Speech therapist was able to uncover issue, and solved the anxiety without meds, only counseling.

Kid just wanted to be a good kid and not screw up and get “in trouble”. The older brother was always getting “in trouble” haha. The story is funny but issue isn’t. Just wanted to say it could be simple or could need speech therapy. Either way, to me it’s time to talk to a professional.
 
It just frustrates me when she does it and I’ve got to remember not to let her see that I am getting upset when she does it. But my wife told me the other night, that when I get irritated or frustrated, I will begin to say something and stop and then repeat what I’ve already said and makes me wonder if she is possibly picking it up from me?
 
As a dad to now three kids, we over analyzed every little thing with the first, then after the second kid and now the third we realized that there is no playbook for how a child develops and the path they take to get to the next level. Give it some time, keep identifying when it happens (like you already are) and down the road if it continues seek a speech therapist. At her young age she could easy grow out of it in a few months.
 
BigClay said:
As a dad to now three kids, we over analyzed every little thing with the first, then after the second kid and now the third we realized that there is no playbook for how a child develops and the path they take to get to the next level. Give it some time, keep identifying when it happens (like you already are) and down the road if it continues seek a speech therapist. At her young age she could easy grow out of it in a few months.
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Yeah, this is what I keep telling myself. Hopefully it holds true. Just odd that she goes weeks without doing it or maybe has a slip up here and there
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
Yeah, this is what I keep telling myself. Hopefully it holds true. Just odd that she goes weeks without doing it or maybe has a slip up here and there
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does she interact with other kids, preschool, day care, or any other social settings?
 
I have had a bit of a stutter most of my life. I’ve never gone any further than talking with a family doc. I’ve always been told mine is a result of focus, or lack thereof. One doc even went as far as saying ‘you let the clutch out on your mouth, before your brain is in gear’. Toddlers are very excitable creatures, just learning a new language. When I catch myself, generally it’s as simple as taking a breath and collecting my thoughts. Not saying that’s the case here, but I wouldn’t sweat speech impediments until the 4ish age range.
 
My 4 yr old has a very little bit of a stutter. We ask his pediatrician about it and she said not to worry about it right now. His brain is sending signals faster than his mouth can turn them into words and that it should clear up as a he gets older. He only does it when he's super excited.
 
My boy does the same thing. He’ll stutter every now and then. Sometimes he does it hard for a week and then it goes away for a while. We actually had him evaluated today. The said he’s in the 90th percentile with the little intelligence test they gave him. Said his little mind is learning new words and processing things so fast that he had a hard time getting them out and explaining things like he wants. Hence the the stutter at times. Just like yours, it’s usually just the first word in the sentence and then the rest flows. I wouldn’t sweat it. More than likely she’ll grow out of it. If I remember correctly, my middle daughter did it too and she’s fine.
 
awheelterd said:
My 4 yr old has a very little bit of a stutter. We ask his pediatrician about it and she said not to worry about it right now. His brain is sending signals faster than his mouth can turn them into words and that it should clear up as a he gets older. He only does it when he's super excited.
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My older daughter does the same thing, she's 3-1/2. Was exactly the example that I was going to give, followed with "don't sweat it, probably just a thing to grow through."
 
I'll add that I had to go to a speech therapists for 5 years. I talked like the "you like to see homos naked guy" when I was young. Only side effect is I can't stand it when someone mispronounces a word, it drives my wife crazy.
 
YotaOnRocks said:
I'll add that I had to go to a speech therapists for 5 years. I talked like the "you like to see homos naked guy" when I was young.
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Ya know, I almost googled that, then I realized it was a trap.
 
Thanks for all the replies. Last night and this morning, she did it a little and I was very calm and just asked to her to repeat what she said and she would repeat it perfectly or I would let her get out her question or comment and I’d repeat it back to her so she could hear how I said it.
 
There's exemptions to this, for sure, but our pediatrician told us to not worry about anything developmental until 5. One of ours bit her fingernails at 2.5 / 3, and quit on her own by 3.5 / 4.

Come to think of it I think my wife was worried about a stutter at one point as well... now I just want them to stop talking long enough to eat.
 
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