Most children between the ages of 2 and 5 have breaks in the flow of their speech. These breaks are called dysfluencies. It is normal for children to repeat words and phrases, to hesitate, to stop and start again, and to use fillers like "um, uh" and "well." Many parents want to know how they can tell the difference between normal developmental dysfluencies and true stuttering.

The following descriptions compare normal dysfluencies and stuttering behaviors:

Normal Dysfluencies

• Include hesitations, revisions, interjections (well, uh, er), effortless, short repetitions.
• Occur on the first word of a sentence.
• Occur on little words (and, but, I).
• Don't last for a long period of time.
• Occur when the child is excited.
• Occur with no struggle behavior.
• Are not apparent to the child; he shows no awareness of them.

Stuttering

• Includes part-word repetitions (li-li-like this) or prolongations (llll---like this).
• Includes dysfluencies which may occur throughout the sentence.
• Is present most of the time or appears suddenly, with much intensity.
• May include struggle behaviors, such as visible tension in the face, change in pitch, or attempts to force out words by stomping the foot or squeezing the fist.
• May cause frustration in the child. He or she is now aware of the problem.
• Has become habitual for the child.
• Warrants referral to a speech pathologist.

If any of the symptoms of true stuttering are observed or reported, it is best to seek the advice of a speech and language pathologist. A speech and language pathologist can provide assistance to both the parents and the child in handling the stuttering behaviors. The earlier intervention begins, the easier the problem is to conquer.

Stuttering in Adults

Normal dysfluencies are:

• hesitations, revisions, or interjections WITHOUT struggle, tension, or fear
• dysfluencies that sometimes occur on the 1st word of a sentence
• dysfluencies that just occur with nervousness or excitability

Stuttering is:

• repetitions of whole words or sounds (I li-li-like it)
• prolongations of sounds (I llllllllllllike it)
• tension in the mouth, face, neck, or chest when speaking
• fearfulness of certain speaking situations or specific words

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do you avoid any speaking situations?

2. Do you have trouble saying specific words or your name?

3. Do you feel tension when you're speaking?

4. Do you feel you cannot control your speech?

5. Do other people think you stutter?

If you can answer "Yes" to one or more of these questions, you may be one of the 1% of the world's population who stutter. At Community Therapy Services, we have certified and licensed speech-language pathologists to advise you.