CHKD speech pathologists have specialized training in fluency disorders such as stuttering and cluttering, and can evaluate your child to determine the appropriate treatment plan.
Fluency is the part of speech that refers to continuity, smoothness, rate, and effort. Stuttering is the most common fluency disorder. It often includes repetitions of words or parts of words, as well as prolongations of speech sounds.
Cluttering, another fluency disorder, is characterized by a rapid rate of speech, erratic rhythm, and poor syntax and grammar, making speech difficult to understand.
Stuttering typically begins in childhood. Most children who stutter begin to do so around 2½ years of age. Approximately 95 percent of children who stutter start to do so before age 5.
Treatment for fluency disorders such as stuttering and cluttering is highly individualized and based on thorough assessment of speech fluency. In creating a treatment plan and setting goals for fluency, the speech language pathologist at CHKD uses linguistically and culturally appropriate stimuli and is sensitive to the unique values and preferences of each individual/family.
The clinician also considers the degree to which the child's fluency disorder is influenced by a co-existing disorder such as other speech and communication disorders, Down syndrome, ASD or ADHD, and determines how treatment might be adjusted accordingly.
If you’re concerned your child may have a speech and communication disorder, please contact one of our outpatient health centers (listed below) to schedule an appointment for your child.