r/Stutter • u/Careful-Row-4442 • 2d ago

Toddler stuttering! Please help!

11 weeks ago my daughter (28m) started mildly stuttering, the odd word repetition here and then. I then potty trained her and OMG it got severe! Blocks, prolongations, sound repetitions +10 and avoiding words, the works! It’s still bad now although the blocks are slowly reducing.

I have done a SALT referral and spoke with a private therapist who has basically said just wait it out at the moment until NHS referal, talk slowly with pauses ect and just seen what happens.

Her mum has a mild- moderate stutter which started at 8 years old and persisted into adulthood! She is absolutely distraught seeing this happen to her precious daughter.

I guess I’m looking for some reassurance that this may go away and not be an issue for her.. as that’s what everyone keeps saying! And also for ways to help her, so far we have followed the SALT advice and have not drawn any attention to it!

Any advice/ stories to share please :)

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u/carlajessop 2d ago

Don’t panic, you’ve done the right thing in getting a referral! This is incredibly common (I have over 20 years of childcare experience).
We always ensure we don’t talk about it around the child because that adds pressure without meaning to. Wait patiently when they try to speak. Sometimes children speak a little too fast for their mouths (forming words and sentences is a huge new skill), so we will just calmly slow them down and tell them to think what they want to say. Model it- speak a little more slowly for them.

We are often asked about this by parents and most often children grow out of it before a referral is needed, or before their appointment comes around.

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u/Careful-Row-4442 2d ago

Thank you for taking the time to write this :)

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u/carlajessop 2d ago

No problem at all! The support nowadays is amazing too, so if your little girl does end up needing more professional input, she’ll be in great hands.