Stuttering Treatment for Children and Teens
Our speech pathology services
Effective approaches to childhood stuttering
Stuttering is complex and can change over the course of a person’s life. Because stuttering in childhood can be common – according to The Stuttering Association for the Young (SAY): more than 1 in every 10 Australian preschool children stutter – sometimes parents or carers can put off getting an assessment.
Pre-school age children may sometimes grow out of stuttering without intervention, but by the school years the likelihood of recovering from stuttering starts to decrease, whether that’s naturally or with therapy. That’s why we strongly recommend getting an assessment and starting therapy as early as possible. It’s important to take action because, with speech therapy, stuttering can be addressed and effectively treated.
Treatment for stuttering is fun, simple, effective and it works. While the best results are achieved with pre-school children, there are also effective strategies backed by research for older children, including teens.
What is stuttering and what causes it?
Stuttering is an interruption in the flow of speech. It can include:
- Repeating sounds, words, syllables or phrases
- Pauses with no sound when trying to speak
- Getting ‘stuck’ on a sound or prolonging a sound
- Body movements such as grimacing or blinking.
The causes of stuttering are unknown. It may start suddenly or gradually, but is not an emotional disorder or caused by trauma or anxiety. It is a physical condition, that sometimes has a genetic link.
There’s no link between things like shyness, anxiety or sensitivity and stuttering – but stuttering can impact a child’s confidence or cause social anxiety, which is why getting treatment is so important. There’s also no connection between stuttering and intelligence.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Some changes to fluency are very common in young children, especially between 2 and 5 years, when language is developing rapidly.
Many children show what we call normal developmental disfluency, which can include repeating whole words or short phrases (e.g. “Can I… can I have it?”), brief pauses, or using fillers like “um.” These speech bumps are usually effortless, come and go, and often resolve on their own.
Stuttering, however, looks different. It may include repeating sounds or syllables (e.g. “b b b ball”), stretching sounds out, getting stuck so no sound comes out, or showing visible tension or frustration when speaking.
If your child has been showing these signs, or if the stuttering has been present for more than a few months, it is worth having an assessment with a speech pathologist experienced in stuttering. Early assessment does not mean immediate therapy. It simply provides clear, evidence based guidance about what your child needs.
Many children do stop stuttering with time. Research shows that around 75–80% of children who start stuttering recover naturally, often within the first few years.
The difficulty is that we cannot predict which children will recover on their own and which will not. About 1 in 5 children who stutter continue to stutter without intervention, and once stuttering has been present for longer than 12–18 months, the likelihood of natural recovery reduces significantly.
Because we do not know in advance which path a child will take, Australian experts strongly recommend early assessment and early therapy when indicated, particularly during the preschool years. At NSST, we carefully consider factors such as how long the stuttering has been present, how it sounds, family history, and how your child feels about speaking, before making recommendations.
Stuttering is a neurological and developmental condition, not a psychological one.
It is not caused by anxiety, nervousness, parenting style, pressure to talk, or trauma. Research shows that stuttering occurs because the brain’s speech planning and speech movement systems are not yet working smoothly together. Brain imaging studies and decades of research support this understanding.
Stuttering also often runs in families, which means genetics play a role for many children. Stress, excitement, illness, or tiredness can sometimes make stuttering more noticeable, but they do not cause stuttering to begin.
Importantly, nothing you did caused your child’s stutter. Our role is to help families understand what is happening, remove blame and myths, and focus on practical, evidence based support.
How adults respond to stuttering can shape how a child feels about speaking, even though it does not cause or cure stuttering.
Helpful responses include staying calm, maintaining natural eye contact, listening patiently, and giving your child time to finish what they are saying. It is best to avoid comments like “slow down,” “take a breath,” or “start again,” as these can increase self consciousness.
Instead, model relaxed, unhurried speech yourself and focus on what your child is saying, not how they are saying it. Creating a calm and supportive communication environment helps children feel safe to talk.
At NSST, we provide specific, tailored guidance for parents based on a child’s age and stuttering profile. For younger children, evidence based programs such as the Lidcombe Program or Westmead Program place parents at the centre of therapy, with structured coaching and support from a specialist speech pathologist.