The Child Who Stutters: To the Pediatrician

Most children go through periods of disfluency as they learn to speak. Some will experience mild stuttering, and for others the difficulty will become severe. Early intervention by the pediatrician can help parents understand and thus minimize the problem.

Download PDF: The Child Who Stutters: To the Pediatrician

Authored by:

Barry Guitar, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Vermont

Edward G. Conture, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University

Editorial Assistance:

Stephen Contompasis, M.D.

Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Vermont Medical School, University of Vermont

Jane Fraser

President, The Stuttering Foundation

Michael B. Grizzard, M.D.

Medical Director, The World Bank, Washington, D.C.

Ellen Kelly, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

James McKay, M.D.

Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Vermont

Peter Ramig, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Colorado–Boulder

Patricia M. Zebrowski, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus, Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, University of Iowa

the child who stutters: to the pediatrician, 6th edition

Publication No. 0023

First Edition—1991

Second Edition—2001

Third Edition—2004

Fourth Edition—2006

Revised Fourth Edition—2007

Fifth Edition—2013
Revised Fifth Edition—2016
Sixth Edition—2021

Published by

Stuttering Foundation of America

P. O. Box 11749

Memphis, Tennessee 38111-0749

ISBN 978-0-933388-56-7

The Stuttering Foundation of America is a nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to the prevention and improved treatment of stuttering.

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Mel Tillis

Mel Tillis, born Lonnie Melvin Tillis, was an influential figure in country music, both as a songwriter and a performer. His journey to fame was marked by overcoming personal challenges, including a stutter that he turned into a defining part of his public persona.

Bob Love

Bob Love has dreamt about being a great public speaker since his early days in Bastrop Louisiana, even though, as a young man, he could barely put two words together, let alone speak a full sentence.

In spite of his severe stuttering disability, Bob Love, the son of a sharecropper, rose to become a Chicago Bulls NBA superstar, whose records were eventually surpassed by Michael Jordan. Throughout his entire athletic career, Bob Love kept his stuttering a secret from the fans who adored him, thinking he could do his “talking” on the basketball court.

Jack Paar

While Jack Paar is among the most prominent of the entertainers on the Stuttering Foundation’s list of Famous People Who Stutter, he deserves special recognition as he was among the first to openly address his stuttering in public. As host of The Tonight Show from 1957-1962, he spoke of his difficulties as a stuttering child and teenager, giving hope to young people.

Alan Rabinowitz

Alan Rabinowitz, Ph.D., who passed away in 2018, was an explorer, wildlife conservationist, and author. He established the Hukawng Valley Tiger Reserve in northern Myanmar, which is about the size of the state of Vermont.

His love for animals began when he was very young.

James Earl Jones

Actor James Earl Jones, a Broadway, television and movie star, is well-known for his voice as Darth Vader in Star Wars and his book Voices and Silences. Jones has spoken some of the most memorable lines in the history of American film, but the man known for his voice was once afflicted with a severe stutter.