Typical & Atypical Disfluencies

As a child’s speech and language develops, stuttering may occur naturally.  Stuttering may be a sign that a child is learning to use language in new ways.  Typical disfluencies often resolve by age five and tend to cycle, meaning they come and go.  Atypical Disfluencies are more concerning and are an indicator that stuttering may not necessarily resolve without some type of intervention.

Typical disfluencies include occasional repetitions of words or phrases (e.g.: “that’s my-my car” or “that’s my - that’s my car”).  They may also include hesitancies and the use of fillers such as “uh,” “er,” “um.”

Atypical disfluencies include sound or syllable repetitions (e.g.: “I see a b-b-b-baby” or “I want da-da-daddy”), sound prolongations (e.g.: “mmmmommy”) and or blocks (the child tries to say something but cannot).  Disfluencies may be accompanied by associated behaviours such as facial grimacing, muscle tension, eye blinking or throat clearing.  Children at this stage may be aware of their difficulties speaking as they may show or express concern.