3160 North Arizona Avenue, Suite 105, Chandler, Arizona 85225
.png/:/cr=t:27.88%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:44.25%25/rs=h:650,cg:true)
Stuttering
Evaluations and Treatment
If you think your child stutters, we can help. It is important to seek help as early as possible. Early treatment can reduce the chances that your child will keep stuttering.
Contact us for an evaluation if you have noticed any of the following things:
- Your child's stuttering has lasted for 6–12 months or more.
- Your child starts to stutter late (after 3½ years old).
- Your child starts to stutter more often.
- Your child tenses up or struggles when talking.
- Your child avoids talking or says it is too hard to talk.
- There is a family history of stuttering.
Our certified Speech-Language Pathologists will look at the following things:
- The types of disfluencies (typical and stutter-like).
- The number of disfluencies that are the stuttering type.
- How your child reacts when they stutter – do they get upset?
- How your child tries to "fix" their speech – do they start over or stop talking?
Our speech therapists may ask if your child's stuttering affects the way they play with others, or if stuttering makes it harder for them to participate in school. The SLP will use all of this information during an evaluation to determine whether your child stutters.
Who Will Be My Speech Therapist?
The professional in charge of each individual’s speech-language therapy program is known as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). The SLP will work with each individual to design a program that meets the unique needs of that person. Meaningful activities will be developed to make therapy interesting and effective in meeting goals.
Stuttering
Signs and Risk Factors
People who stutter may repeat parts of words, stretch a sound out for a long time, or have a hard time getting a word out. Stuttering also may include tension and negative feelings about talking. It may get in the way of how an individual talks to others and they may even try to hide their stuttering by avoiding certain words or situations. Stress or excitement or feeling rushed can also increase stuttering. A person who stutters may also stutter more if others tease them or bring attention to their speech. Stuttering may cause a person to be embarrassed and make them feel nervous about talking.
There is no one cause of stuttering. Possible causes include the following:
- Family history. Many people who stutter have a family member who also stutters.
- Brain differences. People who stutter may have small differences in the way their brain works during speech.
The following factors may place a child at risk for stuttering:
- Gender. Boys are more likely to continue stuttering than girls.
- Age when stuttering began. Children who start stuttering at age 3½ or later are more likely to continue stuttering.
- Family recovery patterns. Children with family members who continued to stutter are also more likely to continue.
We provide therapy service in schools, homes, online and in our clinic located in Chandler.