HomeAnswersOtolaryngology (E.N.T)stammeringWhy does my 4-year-old son find it difficult to speak fluently when excited?

Why does my 4.3 years old son find it difficult to speak fluently?

Share

The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

iCliniq medical review team

Published At October 10, 2017
Reviewed AtJuly 5, 2023

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

My son is 4.3 years old. He sometimes finds it difficult to speak fluently, especially in the beginning of a sentence and when he is excited. Most of the time he speaks the entire sentence very clearly, without any difficulty. I am attaching his audio and video recording clips. What is the treatment to overcome this problem?

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com

I have heard the attached voice recordings (attachment removed to protect patient privacy). The child is stammering. His pronunciation is fine, but the problem is with fluency. It can be due to anxiety. The child might be afraid of performance. There can be psychological causes like he might not be able to perform in front of his teacher or might be afraid of teacher or parents. Try to calm the child and do not point when he stammers. Let him complete his sentence. Treatment is speech therapy which you can do at home or even can visit a speech therapist. At home, make the child read a book and repeat the things. You can ask him to sing; applause is a must for every good effort. You can ask the child to repeat whatever you say. Try playing with tongue twisters. The child does not seem to have any tongue tie from the video (attachment removed to protect patient identity), but if you have any doubts, please visit an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor for proper examination. The child is still very young, so do not worry because this is the time when he will develop a refined speech.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Priyanka Aggarwal
Dr. Priyanka Aggarwal

Audiology

Community Banner Mobile
By subscribing, I agree to iCliniq's Terms & Privacy Policy.

Read answers about:

speech problemstammering

Ask your health query to a doctor online

Otolaryngology (E.N.T)

*guaranteed answer within 4 hours

Disclaimer: No content published on this website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice or treatment by a trained physician. Seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with questions you may have regarding your symptoms and medical condition for a complete medical diagnosis. Do not delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this website. Read our Editorial Process to know how we create content for health articles and queries.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. iCliniq privacy policy