Hi, My four year old was perfect in speech until I had my new baby (now 5 months old) since then she developed this stuttering. Sometimes she has problems just trying to get the words out and it scares me. I asked our peditrician about this when it first started and he said it was just because the new baby cries so much that our toddler is stressed? It is still going on and seems to be getting worse. I am very worried there is something more going on and our insurance will not pay for an evalution for speech they said wait until she gets to kindergarten which is over a year away? have you ever heard of a new baby causes this in another sibling? If so what can I do to help her? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

Hello Sharon,
My apologies for not responding sooner, apparently there was a glitch in the notification system.

Many young children do experience periods of "stuttering" (or dysfluency) as their speech and language develop. Typically, many children between 2-5 yrs. will demonstrate some "stuttering like" speech that comes and goes. Some children who go through this normal period of dyfluent speech will exhibit repetition of syllables like ca-ca-cat, or may even repeat the syllables for longer strings like ca-ca-ca-ca-cat. Other children may tend to lengthen the sound /c------at/ or look as if they are trying to say the sound but are literally stuck on the sound. Children who are experiencing more severe stuttering may avoid using certain words and may use extra sounds to get started. Below are some tips from the stuttering foundation for addressing your child's dysfluency. Know that your daughter's episodes of dysfluent speech are normal for her age. I do advise using some of the techniques listed below to help you and her work through this time.

1. Do not ask your child to “slow down” or to “think about” what he is saying. In other words, do not draw your child’s attention to his stuttering, or try to explain to him how to speak without stuttering. This will often make the stuttering worse. Instead:
2. Use slow, calm, relaxed speech, with plenty of pauses, when speaking to your child.
3. Give your child your full attention when he is speaking to you. Set aside time each day to only listen to your child. Let him direct you in a play activity and do not pressure him to talk.
4. Try to avoid interrupting and asking your child too many questions during periods of stuttering. Instead, comment on what the child has said.
5. Try not to look annoyed or to be upset when your child is stuttering. Use facial expressions and body language to give him the message that you are more interested in what he is saying rather than how he is saying it.
6. Reassure your child if he becomes frustrated or upset with his stuttering. Telling a child that it is “okay to get stuck on words” or that you “know its hard to talk sometimes” may help, as well as a touch or hug.
7. Try to eliminate as much rush and stress from your child’s life as possible.
Hope this was helpful.
Nancy