As your child grows, it is natural for you to anticipate their milestones and wonder if they are on track in their development. In many cases, children will reach their developmental milestones (crawling, walking, and talking) around their expected age. However, if you are noticing any potential problems or developmental issues, it is crucial your child receives early intervention. For parents concerned about their child’s speech, our occupational therapy Los Angeles specialists share the top 5 signs your child may have a stuttering disorder:
Repetition Of Words
This includes prolonged speech and sounds, where your child may often prolong the beginning of a sentence. For instance, if the child asks “Where?” the w in where is stressed and dragged out like when asking “W-w-w-where is that?”
Tenseness
This relates to your child possibly being “out of breath” when they are talking. It may feel like your child’s voice is blocked or airways are constricted. If your child’s voice is blocked, no sound will be coming out of your child.
Rearranging Words In Speech
This is also known as circumlocution. This is when your child may avoid certain words in a sentence to avoid the stuttering from happening due to embarrassment. Your child may also pretend to forget what they wanted to say or decline to speak.
Frustration
Your child may begin to get stressed or angry when they cannot communicate properly. When that occurs, children typically tend to have facial tics or lip tremors as a result of stress from being non-communicable.
Uneven Rate Of Speech
Your child will often speak at different speeds within one sentence or conversation, rather than in one constant tone or speed. This also may result in tension in your child’s voice.
If you believe your child may be suffering from a speech disorder, contact LA Speech Therapy. Our occupational therapy Los Angeles team is ready to help you and your child. To learn more tips about what stuttering is, follow our Twitter or give us a call at (323) 522-6071.
