Stuttering begins in childhood. Some children experience brief periods of developmental stuttering that resolves; others stutter throughout their lifetime. When stuttering begins before the age of three, 75-80%  of children will out grow it. Girls are more likely to outgrow it than boys. Stuttering affects 3-4 times more boys than girls in elementary school.

The short answer is that we don’t exactly know. We do know that it can run in families, and there can be a hereditary risk. It is NOT caused by scaring a child or by poor parenting. My grandfather stuttered, and his family was convinced it was because he was chased by a snake as a child. Not true.

How Can Stuttering Affect a Child at School?

How a student reacts to his or her stuttering can greatly affect their self-confidence and participation in school.

I have had teachers tell me they rarely heard their student stutter. But then, he was quiet and rarely spoke in class. This was a student who was avoiding speaking so he wouldn’t stutter in class.

Some very young students who stutter may appear to take little notice of their stuttering and join in conversations easily. As self-awareness increases, students who stutter may:

1. avoid speaking in certain situations
2. change what they want to say
3. act like they don’t know the answer to avoid having to speak and risk stuttering
4. avoid or be excluded from joining in activities with other children
5. be the targets of bullying due to their stuttering

Some situations that may be stressful and cause fear:

1. telling the cafeteria staff what they want to eat
2. asking for help
3. oral reports
4. math problems in front of the class
5. reading aloud
6. cooperative group activities
7. timed reading fluency tests
8. asking other students if they can join them

What Can Teachers Do to Help?

Teachers can play an important role in helping a child who stutters participate in school and gain confidence in themselves as a communicator and a student.

I highly encourage you to contact your campus speech-language pathologist and ask any questions you may have. Your SLP can discuss your specific student with you and may offer some great tips and suggestions for the classroom.

Reduce speaking and time pressure. Stuttering can vary. A person who stutters will often be more disfluent in speaking situations in which they are less comfortable and more fluent when relaxed and confident.

What does this look like in the classroom?

1. DO establish speaking rules for students. No interrupting. No answering for others. No hurrying or acting annoyed. No pressure.
2. DO allow extra time for responses. No rush. Everyone gets all the time they need to answer a question or speak in class.
3. DO model a relaxed, unhurried tone and pace of speech. Model some pausing and thinking time. This is wonderful for all children that need a bit of extra time to formulate their thoughts.
4. DO show your students that it is what they say that interests you, not how they say it. Praise their great thoughts and ideas.
5. DO talk matter-of-factly to your student in private about what helps them. Don’t let the fact that they stutter be the elephant in the room. You might say, “I notice you stutter sometimes. I will give you plenty of time to talk when you answer in class. Is there anything else you like people to do or not do when you are talking?” Older students may give you some great insights.
6. DO call on your student who stutters early on in a discussion. They won’t have to stress while waiting and dread their turn. You may ask them a question that has a shorter, rather than a lengthy, answer.
7. DO allow your student to participate in all classroom events. They want to be like everybody else.
8. DO share with other educators who work with your student. Most people welcome knowing more about how they can help.

Please:

1. DON’T give advice. Don’t tell your student to slow down, take a breath, stop, or start over.  They are already aware of their stuttering. Don’t allow other students to do it either. This increases the pressure to speak and, therefore, can actually increase the stuttering. Give them the gift of time. Wait for it.
2. DON’T look away when your student speaks. Give good eye contact.
3. DON’T tolerate teasing or mimicking. Ever. That, of course, goes for all children. Be watchful and intervene if this is going on.
4. DON’T fill in the blank or finish what they are saying.
5. DON’T pressure your student to use their speech strategies. Let them know it’s okay if they stutter.