In a study published in the Journal of Fluency Disorders, researchers at University College London looked at 272 children with a stutter and 25 without. Volunteers were aged five to 19.
The test used by the researchers was originally developed in the US and is called the ‘stuttering severity instrument’ (SSI-3).
Results from this study showed that the SSI-3 test can be reliably used to predict stutter severity across the whole age range.
Early symptoms of stuttering include:
- prolonging of parts of words
- partial repetition of words
- blocking (being unable to say) the first part of a word.
Prof Peter Howell, who led the research, said: “If we can identify children at risk of stuttering, then we can offer appropriate interventions to help them early on.”
Tackling speech problems at primary school age could make a huge difference to the future lives of those affected. Stuttering can cause low self-esteem, low-confidence and communication difficulties.
According to Howell, the research proves the test can be used to reliable predict the likelihood of stuttering in very young children. At the age of five, there is still an opportunity to help prevent the development of a stutter.
To find out how hypnotherapy can help children and adults cope with and overcome their stutter please visit our Stuttering page.
View and comment on the original BBC News article.