Stuttering is frustrating enough when you are young and desperately trying to say what's on your mind. But that frustration mounts when a listener finishes your sentence for you or when others tease you. When stuttering continues into adulthood, it can undermine confidence and increase inhibitions, says Toni Cilek, speech pathologist at the University of Iowa.

Although there is not a lot known about why people stutter, stuttering is not a psychological disorder, she says. "Some researchers feel that there may be a physiological predisposition to stuttering, but there are unknown factors that haven't been identified." The incidence of stuttering is reported to be around 5 percent.

Parents of young children can help them by watching for signs of stuttering and seeking professional help when they recognize those signs, Cilek notes. Most children go through a period of speech disfluency, typically between the ages of three and five, Cilek says. These children may struggle to master certain sounds, vocabulary, or sentence structures. While for many of these children this stage of disfluency is part of their "normal" speech development, there are specific signs that may point to a diagnosis of stuttering.

• A physical struggle to speak; tenseness in the mouth and throat while speaking
• A voice rising in pitch or volume inappropriately
• Avoiding or changing words that are difficult to pronounce
• Prolonging sounds or repeating syllables rather than whole words. For instance, saying "Mmmmmmommy" or "Mo-mo-mo-mommy" rather than "Mommy-Mommy."

"A child who exhibits any of these signs is not necessarily a stutterer, but it may still be helpful to have them evaluated by a speech pathologist to assess speech patterns and determine if therapy is needed," Cilek says.

Because listening is important to communication, parents who develop their own listening skills may also help improve their children's speech, she adds. Cilek offers these suggestions for parents of young children.

• Observe how you listen and react to your child. How much of what he or she says do you actually listen to? Try to increase your attentiveness especially in the types of situations when you were less attentive before.
• During a period of disfluency, pay attention and react to what your child says rather than to how he or she is saying it.
• Do not interrupt your child--and also patiently teach your child not to interrupt others. An increase in disfluency is often evidenced when a child is attempting to gain attention by interrupting.
• Refrain from prompting your child to "perform" verbally in public situations that may make him or her uncomfortable.
• Make time to talk with your child to counteract a hectic, busy family schedule. Speak in an unhurried manner and with appropriate pauses.
• Emphasize the pleasure of speaking by reading stories aloud and talking with your child in a calm, nurturing environment.

"If you have questions about your child's speech, talk to your family physician or pediatrician about a referral to a speech pathologist," Cilek says. You may also contact your local school district to request information about speech srevices available as well, including the following Internet links:

Stuttering Foundation of America

National Stuttering Association

Wendell Johnoson Speech and Hearing Clinic, University of Iowa