Many children show some amount of stuttering as preschoolers. However some children have a serious problem needing professional help.

Here are several signs to look for to help you determine if your child has a serious stuttering problem:

• Repeating parts of a word, like "ba-ba-ba-baby"



• Facial tics



• Eye blinks



• Stamping his feet



• Holding her breath



• Avoiding certain words



• Looks of fear or panic when he is trying to say certain words



• And lastly, real struggling when talking.

If any of these are happening, it's time to ask your child's doctor to refer you to a speech therapist or speech/language pathologist for an evaluation. For more information, call the Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists at 1-800-259-8519.