stuttering

My child is 2 and a half years old and speaks very well for her age as compared to some of the other children in her "school". Lately she has started to frequently stutter, usually with certain words but it appears to be more prevalent each day. Is this a normal variant in her development?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Mr. Popowitz,

During this early stage of speech and language acquisition, stuttering is not unusual. Fluency problems can arise at this time because the child doesn't possess the store of words to adequately express her thoughts. So, it's very important to be patient and not to communicate (verbally or nonverbally) displeasure, anxiety or annoyance. The stuttering will likely wane. If not, of course, you can consult with a speech therapist.