Roughly 1% of the population stutters, and 5% of pre-schoolers go through a period of stuttering in their lives. If you’ve been teaching for a while, you will most likely have encountered students who stutter in your classroom, and continue to do so in the future. The teacher plays a crucial role in the development of the child who stutters through all stages of their school career. Read on for the must-knows, when to refer, and a short quiz.
Stuttering is a genetically determined difference in speech motor planning, that usually becomes noticeable when the child begins to speak more (between 2 and 5). Studies show that the critical time for natural recovery is before 5 to 6 years old. After that, stuttering is more likely to remain a part of the student’s life. This is one of the reasons why the idea of ‘just waiting it out’ is rejected by most stuttering specialists (i.e., a speech therapist specialised in stuttering). Once referred, the specialist can determine whether the child who stutters needs therapy, or whether monitoring and family advice is enough for the time being.
Young children use more typical disfluencies such as rephrasing and repeating full words in their speech because they are still developing their language and speech skills. However, look out for 1 of these 3 types of disfluencies that indicate stuttering:
The biggest difference between stuttering and typical disfluencies? Stuttering entails a loss of control and often happens fast and tense, while the latter is usually relaxed and controlled, serving a purpose while formulating.
Throughout the years, the student who stutters might receive comments and reactions from family members, teachers, school mates, and strangers, such as worried expressions or advice like ‘think before you speak’ or ‘speak slower’.
These can lead to negative connotations and emotions associated with their stuttering. To reduce stuttering, the student may start fighting it with physical tension in the face, voice, and the rest of the body. Some students decide to try and avoid stuttering by changing words and sentences, or by speaking less.
This is the hidden layer of stuttering, often compared to the submerged part of an iceberg. It has the power to turn stuttering from just a different way of speaking, into a debilitating weight on the student’s shoulders, limiting them in school, connections, and future opportunities. Stuttering specialists work with older children and adults who have developed this hidden layer, to help alleviate its impact on their daily life.
Now we discussed why ‘waiting it out’ is not the best advice, how to recognise stuttering in speech, and how stuttering can develop over time, let’s explore the red flags to watch for if you’re unsure about referring someone to a stuttering specialist.
These children have either just started to stutter or have not been stuttering for very long. The opportunities for natural recovery are still high, and stuttering therapy can help managing both the reactions of those around the child and the child’s own feelings about stuttering. The stuttering specialist determines whether family advice and monitoring is sufficient, or if initiating therapy would be the best option for the child. Refer more quickly if any of these risk factors are present:
The stuttering starts at a later age (4 or older).
The stuttering persists for 1 year or more.
Stuttering increases/is tense/effortful.
Reactions or worry from child or environment.
Someone in the child’s family stutters/used to.
Other problems with speech & language.
Stuttering is likely to be a lasting aspect of these children’s lives. Stuttering therapy can help prevent the development of deeper emotional and psychological challenges, or assist older children in reducing the impact of stuttering on their day-to-day. The goal of therapy is speaking comfortably, easily and freely despite the stuttering. Look out for any of these factors:
Stuttering is severe:
— Stutters are frequent or last long
— Tension or effort are present
The student tries to fight the stuttering:
— Facial expressions (e.g., closing eyes)
— Head or body movements or tension
The student tries to avoid the stuttering:
— Changing words and sentences
— Avoiding to speak in certain situations
The student expresses:
— Negative feelings or thoughts about stuttering/speaking
—There is teasing or bullying
Stuttering therapy is a specialised area of speech therapy, so it is crucial to refer students to a qualified specialist. If public therapy is available, make sure to check for this specialisation. For private referrals, you can use this map on the Speech Therapy Association (ALF)’s website.
This article is based on the clinical experience of the author as well as these sources:
Bloodstein, O., Ratner, N. B., & Brundage, S. B. (2021). Developmental, Medical, Familial, and Educational History of PWS, and the Social and Vocational Impacts of Stuttering. In A Handbook on Stuttering (7th ed.). Plural Publishing.
Franken, M.-C., Millard, S., & Hearne, A. (2022). Preschool-Age Children. In Stuttering and Related Disorders of Fluency (4th ed., pp. 153–154). Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
Singer, C. M., Hessling, A., Kelly, E. M., Singer, L., & Jones, R. M. (2020). Clinical characteristics associated with stuttering Persistence: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, 63(9), 2995–3018. doi: 10.1044/2020 _jslhr-20-00096
Waelkens, V., & Van Eerdenbrugh, S. (2022). Children showing signs of stuttering. In Clinical Cases in Dysfluency (pp. 32–43). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003179016-4
Yaruss, J. S. (2025). Stuttering Therapy in the Era of Neurodiversity [Conference presentation]. ALF Konferencen 2025, Nyborg, Denmark.
I am a Speech and Language Therapist and a certified Stuttering Specialist. I believe communication is the single most important tool connecting us as humans. I love that I can help people on their personal paths toward their communication goals every day!
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