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Stammering in children

01 April 2024
In Practice
02 April 2024
Volume 12 | Journal of Family Health · Issue 3

Abstract

Amy Noakes looks at how health visitors can support children and families with timely and effective therapy strategies beneficial to children who stammer

Stammering, also known as stuttering, is a difference in the manner in which an individual speaks. This can vary from person to person and the severity is dependent on the individual affected. A stammer can happen at any point of a sentence and may encompass one or more of the following (NHS, 2023; STAMMA, 2024):

Approximately 1 in 50 adults are affected by stammering and 1 in 12 young people will go through a phase of stammering (NHS, 2023). Stammering is a neurodevelopmental issue in which there is a difference in brain activity, interfering with the production of speech (National Stuttering Association, 2024).

There are two types of stammer (NHS, 2023):

  • Developmental stammering first emerges between 2 and 3 years of age as speech and language skills are developing. Interestingly, the same number of boys and girls will start to stammer but girls are more likely to stop stammering (Michael Palin Centre for Stammering (MPC), 2024)
  • Acquired or late-onset stammering is quite rare but is usually connected with a stroke, head injury or progressive neurological condition.

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