If your child is stammering (also known as stuttering), you're not alone.
Many children go through a phase of stammering and most grow out of it. But if they don't, it's OK. Stammering is OK and many people live happy, successful lives with a stammer.
What would help right now?
It's understandable if you're feeling worried. It can be scary.
Hopefully, this page will help. We'll tell you what stammering is and things you can do at home. We'll got links to our parent support groups and therapy options.
*Come to our Family Day, Saturday 22nd August 2026, Northampton.
Is my child stammering?
A child who stammers might do one or more of these things:
- Repeat sounds or words. For example, "M-m-m-mummy".
- Stretch or prolong sounds. For example, "Can you read me a ssssssstory?"
- Have a silent block where a sound gets stuck. For example, "---------Can I have…". A block could last for a few seconds, or it could last longer.
These can happen at any point in a sentence.
They might also:
- appear tense in their mouth, face or body
- change their breathing pattern or feel out of breath
- close their eyes or look away
- use other parts of their body to help get a word out or release tension. For example, they might jerk their head, tap their fingers or stamp their feet
- say "um" or "er" or repeat a word they've already said to help launch into words they find more difficult to say.
Talk to someone about your child's speech
Our helpline team is here to listen.
Why is it happening?
Stammering in young children is fairly common. Up to 8% of children will stammer for a period of time. It quite often starts between the ages of 2 and 5.
We don't fully know why children start stammering. But research shows that it's a combination of different things. One of these is that there's a difference in the way their brain is wired. There's also a genetic link and stammering often runs in families.
See What Causes Stammering? for more about what we know.
Learning a second language does not cause stammering. See Stammering & Bilingual Children to learn more.
As a mother, a million thoughts ran through my head... I had many feelings too, including frustration, guilt and helplessness. I just didn't know how best to help him and had many questions.
Victoria, parent
Do children stop stammering?
Most young children who start to stammer might stammer for a period of days, weeks or months.
Many will stop stammering over time, but not everyone. At the moment, we can't tell for sure which children will stop and which won't.
Around 1% of people will continue to stammer into adulthood. And that's OK — it's OK to stammer. Many people see their stammer as just another way of talking.
And there are lots of adults who stammer who are living happy, successful lives. See our Influential People Who Stammer page for examples.
Watch Kirsten from STAMMA explain more in the video below. (Or read a transcript of the video.)
Chat with us if you're still worried. Call free on 0808 802 0002 or start a webchat.
Is it my fault?
Parents sometimes ask us if they are to blame when their child starts stammering. The answer is no, you are definitely not to blame .
We know that children do not start stammering because:
- they were told off
- a new brother or sister joined the family
- of a big upheaval in their lives, eg, parents separating or moving home
- they are learning more than one language. If you're worried about this, see Stammering & Bilingual Children.
Nothing you have done as a parent or guardian has caused the stammering. If a child starts stammering around the same time as events like these, it is purely coincidental.
You're not the only parent who might feel this way.
Meet other parents who understand
Join our supportive online 'Parent 2 Parent' groups.
In the video below, Kirsten from STAMMA talks more about how stammering is not your fault. (Or read a transcript of the video.)
Want to chat about it? Call our free helpline on 0808 802 0002 or start a webchat.
How can I help my child at home?
If your young child is finding it difficult to talk, or if they're feeling worried about it, there are things you can do to help.
Responding to your child
How you respond to your child is important. It will shape how they see themselves and how much they enjoy talking.
It's OK to feel worried. But try to stay calm and neutral even if that's not how you're feeling, rather than looking away.
If we give our child the message that the way they talk is scary or 'bad', they might start to feel worried too. They might think that it is better to be silent than stammer. They might begin to go to great lengths to hide their stammering. And that tends not to be helpful at all.
Also, try not to praise them only when they are fluent.
Watch Kirsten explain more in the video below. (Or read a transcript of the video.)
Call our free helpline on 0808 802 0002 if you want to chat about this, or start a webchat.
Talking with your child
Give them time and space to finish, and focus on what your child is saying rather than how they speak.
Avoid interrupting and finishing sentences. Try not to offer advice like "slow down" or "relax". These might make a child self-conscious.
For older children, see If Your Teenager Stammers.
We've got more easy things you can do at home that can make a huge difference.
I was really nervous, but STAMMA's online group was such a huge turning point for me, and I came away with strategies to help Jasmine.
Heather, parent
If you're still worried, speech & language therapy may be helpful. After chatting with you and your child, a therapist can make an assessment and answer any questions you might have.
Or, if your child is a bit older, you could see what stammering group courses are out there.
Is your child already having therapy but you don't think it's having an effect? See What To Do If Therapy Isn't Working Out.
Join the community
Become a STAMMA member for free or sign up to our mailings. You'll get to:
- hear about our Family Day and other events for parents
- get discounts at our events
- help support other parents and change public attitudes.
Read and share our information leaflets with your family, friends, nursery and school.
- Get support for your child at school.
- Read articles from parents.
- Watch our video 'Becoming more comfortable with your child's stammering'.
- Watch videos by Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust: 'My Stammering Tap' and 'My Stammering Child'. They explore concerns you might have.
- Books For Parents & Children.
- How to nurture resilience in children who stammer.
- Plus, we've got an online Minecraft Club, for ages 7-14.
More support
- UK Support Group for Parents of Children who Stammer Facebook group.
- Our own Facebook group. Open to anyone, including parents.
- Action for Stammering Children: an informative website with a focus on children and young people.
Has this page helped? We'd love to hear your feedback.
Creating it was only possible thanks to your kind donations. Please consider donating to STAMMA.
