[Next]
From: hans månsson
Date: 10/14/00
Time: 7:59:45 AM
Remote Name: 195.47.136.179
Dear Ann
As you can read in my paper speech disfluencies are very common in early childhood. Its not easy to find the exact reason or combination of reasons why a specific child stutter. Many of the parents tell me exactly the same as you do: My child is thinking faster than is able to produce the speech sounds. This explanation migth be a part of the background of the disfluencies in some cases. In my study I see very different factor combinations and maybe in the end of the study I can define some characteristic subgroups. One subgroup might be very young children with a high level of vocabulary and syntax but for a shorteg or longer period less speeck motor control. This group seems to have a pretty good recovery rate. If there are no family history of stuttering the possibility of recovery is larger. When is a girl the disfluencies more often disappear after a while, too. You write "normal" disfluencies. If you are rigth in that distinction and the period is less than 6 months you migth not be concerned, but if it continue more than half a year, I will recommend your niece's parents to contact a local speech therapist to have their opinion and listen to the childs speech disfluencies directly or a audiotape sample.
Good luck.
Hans