Stammering - Diagnosis

It is common for young children to have some degree of difficulty with their speech. If you notice that a child repeats certain words and sounds, or if they pause between words and sounds, it does not necessarily mean they have a stammer.

When to seek medical advice

An American organisation, the Stuttering Foundation of America, has created a questionnaire designed to help parents distinguish between normal speech problems and a stammer. The questionnaire consists of 10 questions:

1. Does your child repeat parts of words rather than whole words or entire phrases, for example 'b-b-b-banana'?
2. Does your child repeat sounds more than once every 8 to 10 sentences?
3. Does your child have more than two repetitions, for example 'a-a-a-a-apple' instead of 'a-a-apple'?
4. Does your child seem frustrated or embarrassed when he or she has trouble with a word?
5. Has your child been stammering for more than six months?
6. Does your child raise the pitch of their voice, blink their eyes, look to the side or show physical tension in the face when stammering?
7. Does your child use extra words or sounds like 'uh', 'um' or 'well' to get a word started?
8. Does your child sometimes get stuck so badly that no sound at all comes out for several seconds when they try to talk?
9. Does your child sometimes use extra body movements, like tapping their finger, to get sounds out?
10. Does your child avoid talking, use substitute words or stop talking in the middle of a sentence because they are worried they may stammer?

The more of these questions you answer 'yes' to, the more likely it is that your child has a stammer and may benefit from a referral to a speech and language therapist.

Speech and language therapy

A speech and language therapist (SLT) is a health professional who specialises in treating speech, language and communication disorders, including stammering. Your GP will be able to refer you to your nearest speech and language therapy service.

However, in most areas of the UK the speech and language therapy service operates a self-referral system, so you can contact them directly. The British Stammering Association's (BSA) Information Service can provide contact details of local speech and language therapy services.

While some cases of stammering may be easily diagnosed by listening to a child speak, it is recommended that parents consult an SLT if they have concerns.

The SLT will assess your child's speech and, if necessary, recommend a course of therapy specifically for your child, taking into account their speech presentation and stage of development.

It is important to note there is no evidence that parents cause their child's stammer.