St...st... stuttering is a disturbance of speech closely linked with left handedness and emotional stress. It is a performance anxiety disorder and not usually caused by organic nervous disease. It is known to begin at 2 or 3 when the child is learning to speak. Boys suffer 4 times more often that girls. Stuttering could also be hereditary.

Symptoms ::
Pauses in speech which may be filled with hisses or grunts. Repetition and difficulty in pronouncing words beginning with b,d,l,k,p & q. Associated facial contortions or erratic limb movements, when severe.

Treatment ::
Avoid making your child anxious about his performance. He could grow-up troubled and inhibited. Mild stuttering tends to disappear on its own. When stuttering occurs in left-handed children who have been made to shift to right-handedness, a switch back to the original produces great improvement. Sometimes, stuttering can be caused by larynx disorder. Medicines help, but in a limited way. Check with your doctor. He may suggest an ENT specialist, speech therapist or a child psychiatrist.