Stuttering is when people seem to get stuck on, or repeat, sounds when talking. Stuttering may also be called 'stammering' or 'dysfluency'.
Stuttering is different for different tamariki (children). It can vary depending on the situation, such as what the child wants to say, who they are talking to and how they are feeling. Stuttering can start gradually or suddenly and may change over time.
Sometimes, a child may try to hide stuttering by avoiding talking.
Stuttering can affect people of all ages and cultures. Many tamariki stutter at some point as they learn to talk. Stuttering is more common in boys than girls and can run in families.
show your child that you are interested in what they say, not how they say it. Maintain natural eye contact and don't ask them to say words again.
let them finish their sentences rather than finishing them for them.
Be supportive if your child gets upset about their speech. You could say, "Talking is tricky sometimes when you're still learning".
If you would like to look at anything in more detail, this list of references [1] might be a good starting point.
The content on this page has been produced in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and adapted from Much more than words | Manuka takoto, kawea ake (2014) [2].
This page last reviewed 08 December 2023.
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Links
[1] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/communication-development-references
[2] https://seonline.tki.org.nz/Educator-tools/Much-More-than-Words
[3] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/1904?language=en
[4] https://www.education.govt.nz/our-work/contact-us/regional-ministry-contacts/
[5] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/1584?language=en
[6] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/1583?language=en
[7] https://www.plunket.org.nz/plunket-near-me/
[8] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/1582?language=en
[9] mailto:special.education@minedu.govt.nz
[10] https://speechtherapy.org.nz/find-a-therapist/
[11] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/1589?language=en
[12] https://www.stuttering.co.nz/
[13] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F382%3Flanguage%3Den