Does Your Child Stutter

An expert speech therapist states that stuttering is a normal process children go through. It is sometimes confused with simplification or in tagalog pagkabulol, such as when a child uses W instead of R or L. For example, they say "Wowecoaster" instead of "rollercoaster". They also cut off syllables, such as when they say "jabi" instead of "Jollibee".

Stuttering on the other hand is different from pag uutal. It can be a part word repetition, like "J-j-j-j-jjolibee," or they say the first syllable, pause, and then say the rest of the word. This is also a normal process, but only until around four years old. At this age, your child's speech should be 75 to 90 percent intelligible, when he reaches the age of seven, simplification and stuttering should be very minimal.

Children normally simplify words or stutter because they have yet to master the sound combinations in the language they are trying to learn. Their motor skills are also not yet fully developed.

Treatment for stuttering and simplification depends on the cause, which can be physical or psychological (such as poor self esteem). What you can do when your child stutters or simplifies words is to acknowledge how he says it, and then say the word correctly, so that he will learn.