Bilingual Stuttering and Disfluencies — What's Normal and What's Not
By Palabra Garden
Your two-and-a-half-year-old is telling you about something he saw at the park. He starts the story enthusiastically, then suddenly stops. “I-I-I want to tell you about the… the… the dog!” He repeats the word “I” twice, pauses while searching for “dog,” then continues. A few sentences later, he revises mid-sentence: “We went to the… I mean, we played at the park.” You notice yourself holding your breath, waiting for him to finish. And then a worry creeps in: Is my child stuttering? Is bilingualism making it worse?
This is a question I hear from bilingual parents at least once a week. And I understand the worry. Disfluencies — the stumbles, repetitions, and revisions in speech — are noticeable and can feel alarming, especially when you’re invested in your child’s language development. But here’s what research consistently shows: most disfluencies in young children, including bilingual children, are completely normal. And the belief that bilingualism causes stuttering? That’s actually a myth.
What this post covers
- Normal Disfluency vs. Stuttering: What’s the Difference?
- Why Bilingual Children Often Have Disfluencies
- The Myth: Bilingualism Causes Stuttering
- Normal Disfluencies in Bilingual Children: What to Expect by Age
- What to Watch For: Red Flags for True Stuttering
- When to Consult a Bilingual SLP
- If Your Child Truly Is Stuttering: What Helps
- Supporting Normal Disfluencies at Home
- Key Takeaway: Normal Disfluencies Are a Sign of Growing Language, Not a Problem
- About the Author
This post is being migrated from the previous site. The full version originally appeared on palabragarden.com.