Most children will eventually outgrow stuttering

Even the most talkative children become uncharacteristically shy on entering the pediatrician's office. When asked a straightforward question, they hesitate and squirm, finally whispering the answer in their parents' ears saying, "You tell her!" That's why I usually have to rely on parents to help me evaluate their children's speech development and address any language concerns.

When a quiet, well-behaved 4-year-old was in for her yearly checkup, her father wondered whether his daughter's stuttering was anything to worry about. I assured him that for some kids, stuttering is a well-recognized step in normal language development.

I told dad to think of childhood stuttering as a natural and expected by-product of a developing brain filled with many ideas. The child's thoughts are racing away, and there will be times when she'll be unable to produce words fast enough to keep up with that rapid flow of ideas. The best way to deal with stuttering is by relaxing and allowing the child time to express herself on her own schedule.

Stuttering, according to experts at the National Institutes of Health, affects more than 3 million people in the United States. Most stutterers are children between the ages of 2 and 6, with boys outnumbering girls three to one. Researchers find that the majority of these children will not stutter in adulthood. Less than 1 percent of adults stutter.

Though most pediatric stuttering is considered developmental and will be outgrown, the NIH does recommend formal speech evaluation for children who stutter for more than six months or whose stuttering leads to behavioral changes.

Speech pathologists at the NIH offer some useful tips for parents of stutterers. Grownups can help these children by making a conscious effort to slow down the family's hectic daily pace. Make sure quiet time is set aside each day so that child and parent can talk to each other one-on-one, without interruption.

Adults should speak slowly, and then listen patiently, giving full attention to the child's response. Even if you find yourself a bit frustrated by the stuttering, try not to speak for the child -- give him time to finish what he has to say on his own.

Family and friends shouldn't poke fun at or punish the child who stutters. Remember, it's not something he's doing intentionally. If your little one is bothered by his stuttering, explain that he's going through a normal stage of growing up and will likely leave his stuttering behind.

Adult stutterers can be helped by speech therapy, but there is no recognized cure for the condition. Researchers are now focusing on uncovering genetic links to stuttering and learning to predict with more accuracy which childhood stutterers will carry the condition into adulthood.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association notes several factors that appear to place childhood stutterers at an increased risk of becoming lifelong stutterers. These include: a family history of stuttering, a six-month or longer span of childhood stuttering, co-existing speech disorders or delays, and a child or family that seems particularly fearful or overwhelmed by the youngster's stuttering condition.