Is stuttering therapy needed for a two year old who stutters?…

Is stuttering therapy needed for a two year old who stutters?

I often receive calls about this topic and have also been asked by professionals if this age is too young?   It is a question many people in our profession ask. I am going to say about 20 percent of children go through periods of dysfluency.  First, we have to determine if they are at risk and many times even if the 2 year old who stutters is not at risk the parents need a session to understand stuttering and how to modify the environment at home to modify the environment to lessen demands. First what are some risk factors for a two year old who stutters?

1. Family history of stuttering

2. speech and language difficulties

3. males 4 times more likely to stutter than females

4. stuttering for more than three month

5. struggling to speak

6. signs of awareness

7. repeating words more than three timesShould two year olds get help for stuttering? Yes. there is no need to wait. It does not hurt to get a consult and it is important to see a stuttering specialist.What is the best therapy for stuttering for a two year old?   The best treatment is the Lidcombe method for early childhood stuttering because it is a parent driven program and does not modify the child’s speech pattern .It does not change breathing patterns.  Please email Lori@allislanspeech.com for more info.