Early Childhood Stuttering

Abstract

A nationwide survey of pediatricians was conducted to assess their practices with and attitudes and beliefs about young children who stutter and their stuttering. Data obtained from 439 respondents were analyzed. The findings indicated mixed trends. Although the opinions of the majority of the pediatricians agreed with current information about stuttering, on several important matters a significant percentage held outdated or erroneous beliefs about the etiology of the disorder or characteristics of young children who stutter. Beliefs about etiology appeared to influence opinion of treatment choice with a strong tendency for delaying intervention and a preference for parent-oriented intervention. Respondents were inconsistent in their interpretation of early diagnostic signs of stuttering. Interest among pediatricians in obtaining updated information about stuttering was strong. Practical implications for speech-language pathologists are discussed.

Natural History of Stuttering to 4 Years of Age: A Prospective Community-Based Study

“…8 This rate was higher than previously reported, [9][10][11] presumably because our study began in infancy before speech development, and we identified many early cases missed by other studies that did not assess children until they were 3 years of age or older. 9 Although many antecedents and risk factors for stuttering have been proposed, [11][12][13][14] we did not find early stuttering onset to be associated with any social or environmental factors. Only 3.7% of the variation in stuttering onset was explained in our multivariable models.…”

“…onset, at just 6.3%, was in line with the 9% 12-month recovery rates previously reported in the Illinois study. 11 The study also has limitations. Some cases may have been missed because parents opted out of the study at earlier waves, were lost to follow-up, or overlooked the stuttering (eg, if it was mild or if they had another child who had recovered from stuttering).…”

“…15,16 However, it is unlikely that there would ever be sufficient health care resources to treat all the 8.5% of children who are stuttering by age 3 years, nor that such treatment would be needed because many children recover naturally. 11,13 To optimize service delivery, therefore, currently absent information is needed about recovery from early stuttering and its predictors. Recovery rates vary between studies according to when recovery was determined and sample ascertainment.…”

“…10 Other studies where children were referred from the clinic or the community, such as the well-known Illinois studies, 11,13,14, reported recovery rates of 9% at 1 year after onset rising to 72% at 4 years after onset. Potential recovery predictors include being female, 11,13 having better speech and language skills, 11,13,17 a decrease in stuttering over time, 11,13,17 and having a family history of recovery. 13,14,17,18 Currently, little is known about the social and emotional development of children who stutter, with available information drawn from clinic-referred samples of older children or adults.…”

“…Recovery rates vary between studies according to when recovery was determined and sample ascertainment. [9][10][11]13,14,17 In a communityascertained study in the United Kingdom, 42% of children were deemed recovered by 6 years of age and 79% by 16 years of age. 9 A Danish community study reported 71.4% of children to have recovered by 5 years of age.…”