For Physicians

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Written by Lisa A. Scott, Ph.D.

Should My Child Attend Speech Therapy?

Stuttering can become a lifelong part of talking for some people. However, it does not have to interfere with your child's ability to make friends, participate in the classroom, make good grades, form lasting relationships, or achieve career goals.

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The physician is often the first professional to whom a parent turns for help. Knowing the difference between normal developmental speech disfluency and potentially chronic stuttering enables the physician to advise parents and refer when appropriate. Early intervention for stuttering which may range from parent counseling and indirect treatment to direct instruction can be a major factor in preventing a life-long problem.

Normal developmental disfluency and early signs of stuttering are often difficult to differentiate. Thus, diagnosis of a stuttering problem is made tentatively. It is based upon both direct observation of the child and information from parents about the child’s speech in different situations and at different times.