Will My Child Always Stutter?

One of the first questions parents often ask when their child begins stuttering is, “Will my child always stutter?”

It’s an understandable question. When something unexpected happens with our children, we naturally want to know what the future holds. Will this last? Will they be okay? Is there something I should be doing right now?‍ ‍

What Does the Research Tell Us?

The encouraging news is that most young children, up to 80%, who begin stuttering, eventually stop. At the same time, one of the most challenging things about early stuttering is that we can’t predict what will happen for one individual child.

Researchers have identified several risk factors that can make stuttering more likely to continue. A risk factor is simply something that increases the likelihood of a particular outcome. In general, the more risk factors a child has, the more likely they are to continue stuttering over time.

These include: a family history of persistent stuttering, being male, beginning to stutter at an older age, stuttering that continues for a longer period of time, more frequent stuttering, and speech or language delays.

It’s helpful to think of a risk factor as a clue, not a crystal ball. It gives us useful information and helps us estimate likelihood, but it can’t tell us exactly what will happen for one child. Researchers and clinicians look at the overall picture but prediction is never certain.

If we can’t know exactly what the future holds, what should we do today?

A Beach Ball

I like to compare a child’s speech to a beach ball. We can do a lot of things with a beach ball. We can roll it. We can float it. And we can bounce it (stuttering).

Bouncing isn’t a problem. It’s simply one of the things a beach ball naturally does. It may be a little harder to manage than rolling or floating, but it’s still the same big, bright, colorful ball.

A child’s speech can be like that. Stuttering may be part of the way a child speaks, but what they have to say is still full of ideas, personality, connection, and meaning.

The difficulty begins when we start treating the bouncing as though it’s something that shouldn’t happen. “Oh no, your ball is bouncing.” But a beach ball was made to bounce! When we spend so much energy trying to stop every bounce, playing with the ball isn’t nearly as much fun anymore. Sometimes children even decide to put the ball away.

Parents do not cause stuttering, but the way adults respond can contribute to the struggle that develops around stuttering. Instead of focusing so much on what the ball is doing, we can focus on enjoying the ball.

How We Help Today

We can make communication at home feel safe and comfortable. That means resisting the urge to give advice to our children when they stutter. Suggestions like slow down, take a breath, or start over are often said with love. Unfortunately, over time, this advice sends the message that our child’s speech is wrong or bad. Rather than focusing on the pattern of our child’s speech, we can focus on the message.

We can keep listening to their stories, answering their questions, and allowing them to finish speaking, without interrupting or correcting them. Communication can continue being about sharing ideas, telling stories, asking questions, and connecting with the people we love.

As parents, we have a huge influence on our child’s lives. The way we listen and respond can shape how our children see themselves as communicators.

Looking Ahead

So, will your child always stutter?  The honest answer is that we don’t know.  We can’t control what the future will bring, but we can give our children positive communication experiences today.

When children feel heard, understood, and accepted, they begin building confidence in their ability to communicate. That confidence can stay with them from childhood into adulthood, whether they continue to stutter or not.