Stuttering is no more a cause for embarrassment as scientists have claimed that children with this speech disorder have better verbal and non-verbal skills and moreover, they face no problem in developing in other ways.
According to a new study, many children who stutter have no problem in their development process and the preschoolers who stutter do just fine emotionally and socially. In fact, many children outgrow the stammering disorder within a year or two.
Stuttering, sometimes called stammering, often includes repetition of words or phrases as well as prolongation of sounds. Some people can outgrow the speech disorder, which often begins in early childhood. It can persist into adulthood for others.
During the research, the group studied 1600 four-year-old kids who stutter. They found higher rates of stuttering occurred in boys, twins, and children whose mothers were college educated.
“Stuttering can be typical as a child is developing speech so for many it may go away. But if it doesn’t this study shows that these kids are not at a disadvantage for social or behavior problems,” Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Kate Eshleman said.
Experts said wait about 12 months before beginning treatment for stuttering. Many researchers said that waiting period could be lengthened because these children are at no disadvantage.
Joseph Donaher, academic and research program director for the Center for Childhood Communication at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, says the finding about stuttering’s impact may help allay parents’ worries. “Reports like this help clinicians make the case that some stuttering, especially for a short period of time, doesn’t mean that your child is going to be negatively impacted in the future.”
Researchers also said if you are a parent of a child who stutters, don’t hesitate to bring it up to your child’s pediatrician but they also say don’t worry.
The study was published online on Monday in Pediatrics.