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 each child. 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 children stutter at some point as they learn to talk. Stuttering is more common in boys than girls and can run in families.
If you would like to look at anything in more detail, this listing 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) (PDF, 565KB) [2]
This page last reviewed 17 November 2020.
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Links
[1] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/communication-development-references
[2] http://seonline.tki.org.nz/content/download/758/3925/file/MOEMuchMoreThanWordsV2.pdf
[3] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/1904?language=ko
[4] https://www.education.govt.nz/our-work/contact-us/regional-ministry-contacts/
[5] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/1584?language=ko
[6] https://seonline.tki.org.nz/content/download/758/3925/file/MOEMuchMoreThanWordsV2.pdf
[7] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/1583?language=ko
[8] http://www.plunket.org.nz/plunket-near-you/
[9] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/1582?language=ko
[10] mailto:special.education@minedu.govt.nz
[11] https://speechtherapy.org.nz/find-a-therapist/
[12] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/1588?language=ko
[13] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/1589?language=ko
[14] http://www.stuttering.co.nz/facts/stuttering-for-parents/
[15] http://www.stuttering.co.nz/facts/stuttering-facts-and-advice/
[16] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F382%3Flanguage%3Dko