Sudden stammering in a toddler

My dd (2.5) has extremely well developed speech/language skills. She has been speaking clearly and in complete sentences for well over a year and a half. On Christmas Day she suddenly started stammering. It is pretty extreme and has made it hard to understand her. Anyone have any advice or suggestions? It is heartbreaking for me, but everything I read says it may just disappear. I've read it can be triggered by stress, which maybe the holidays caused with all of the visitors and different situations. I plan to call my pediatrician, but any advice?

Sudden stammering in a toddler

i'm a speech therapist.... this is very common at this age. i wouldn't worry!! (unless she's been really really sick or something and it could have been triggered by something medical.... which is doesn't sound like it). Sometimes when kids are still learning to talk and use language, their brains are working faster than their mouths-- so they get a little mixed up and start to stutter. Especially at busy exciting stressful times like Christmas i would just wait it out... it should get better. in the meantime, just don't make a big deal out of it (making her repeat things or telling her to "what are you trying to say?!!" or finishing her sentences for her will only stress her out more---- so just let her work through it, try to keep things calm, don't draw attention to it--- and i'm sure she'll be fine

Sudden stammering in a toddler

My DD did the same thing at that age. She also had above average language skills and had been speaking clearly and in full sentences forever when it started. It's so hard but the only answer I got was to wait it out and it did go away completely within a few months. I agree not to a make a big deal of it or to finish her sentences. Once or twice my DD just said "never mind" and it broke my heart. Hang in there :)

Re: Sudden stammering in a toddler

My DD did this for a long time. It's pretty much when they are having a word explosion and their minds are working faster than their mouths can get it out.
She would stutter quite often.
It resolved it self completely with no help, but it did take awhile

Re: Sudden stammering in a toddler

Thanks everyone...it is so hard for me to hear her struggle...my older girls noticed it last night and as much as I know it will probably resolve itself over time, it still makes me worry (I'm a special ed. teacher and I worry about everything developmentally).

Re: Sudden stammering in a toddler

Re: Sudden stammering in a toddler

Normal. Brain working fast and just trying to speak faster than they can handle.