Will my child always stammer? Why do some children stop stammering and others do not?

These are questions we are frequently asked by parents - and ones that researchers are continuing to look for answers to. Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer as every child’s background, stammer, support and situation is different.

It is thought that 1 in 12 children stammer at some point. Many of these children will resolve their stammer by their teens. However, 1 in 50 adults continue to stammer, with men 3-4 times more likely to stammer. 

Research has indicated that there may be some individual factors that contribute to the likelihood of a child continuing to stammer into adulthood:

• Early intervention: early support in preschool (under-5s) is shown to be most effective in helping children improve or resolve their stammer.
• Age: some research has pointed to later onset of stammering being associated with a child' stammer persisting into adulthood.
• Family History: a family history of stammering can increase the likelihood of a child starting and continuing to stammer.
• Sex: boys appear to be more likely to continue stammering into adulthood.

References:

Singer, et al. (2020). Clinical Characteristics Associated With Stuttering Persistence: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63(9), 2995-3019.

Walsh, et al. (2018). What Are Predictors for Persistence in Childhood Stuttering? Seminars in Speech and Language, 39(4), 299-312.