Psychologist on science behind stuttering in children
Update: 5:08 PM is March 17, 2025
ALL RIGHT. Five on your mental health. Now science behind stuttering. Which is normal and what is not for your toddler. Here to talk about this Doctor Erika Lee, psychologist at the Boston children’s hospital. Nice to see you. Delighted to see you, Doctor Lee. This is an interesting subject because, as you know, it is common that small children fall on their words. What is different between tripping and stuttering? YES. Big question. So we know, just as you said, many young children repeat words or sentences when they develop their linguistic skills. But stuttering is in fact a communication disorder where the normal flow of speech is broken. You can therefore hear a child some sort of rehearsal sounds or parts of words. Maybe they extend the first sound in a word. They can take a break while trying to say a word, or in fact, very often you will see that they become frustrated and really feel angry to try to speak, because it is more difficult. We also know that some children make facial movements or unusual body when they try to speak, so that they can flash or try to avoid visual contact. These are all characteristics of stuttering. Do we know what causes stuttering, doctor? YES. As far as we understand, four main factors that contribute to the risk of developing stuttering. So first, have family history. Thus, a genetic history of people who stutter your family experiencing difficulties with your development of speech or language, differences in the way in which a child’s brain deals with speech and language, as well as family factors. So, having high family expectations and a quick lifestyle, it is in fact a myth that children with psychological difficulties are more likely to stutter. And what we really know is that around 5% of all children will stutter for at least six months or more, with boys much more likely to develop it than girls. Is the treatment available, or could it simply disappear alone? Yeah, that’s a great question. We therefore in fact know that early intervention is the best treatment for stuttering. So, if all this seems to parents like, you know, I wonder if it is my child. If you worry, talk to your pediatrician. They could recommend an assessment of speech and language, and this person can help you identify what is going on. Is my child really stupid? And then what makes sense for the next steps. It could therefore be that we will change our communication at home. This could take a short course of speech and language. Help is definitely available. And I always like to tell families that it is really important not to see conditions such as stuttering, like a bit like a death sentence, right? We actually know that there are a lot of famous people who succeed who were fortunately out to say that I have a stuttering story. Thus, people like Kendrick Lamar, Nicole Kidman, President Joe Biden, president, are all people who have become very successful, even if they had child stuttering. Very well, Doctor Lee, thank you very much.
Psychologist on science behind stuttering in children
Update: 5:08 PM is March 17, 2025
The Boston Children’s Hospital Psychologist, Dr. Erica Lee, on the difference between tripping and stuttering with regard to children’s speech.
The Boston Children’s Hospital Psychologist, Dr. Erica Lee, on the difference between tripping and stuttering with regard to children’s speech.