Speech Therapy Consulting
Speech Therapy Consulting
Pediatric Speech Therapy · Dixon, CA
75-80% of children recover with early treatment. Free consultation available.
No obligation. We respond within one business day.
Many children experience normal disfluency during language development. These signs suggest your child may benefit from a professional evaluation.
Repeating parts of words ("b-b-b-ball") rather than whole words or phrases. This is a hallmark of true stuttering.
Stretching sounds ("ssssssnake") for more than one second. The child appears stuck on a sound.
The mouth is positioned to speak but no sound comes out. The child appears to be "stuck" and may show visible effort.
Eye blinking, facial grimacing, head nodding, or visible muscle tension in the jaw, lips, or neck while speaking.
Your child avoids certain words, substitutes easier words, or becomes reluctant to speak in certain situations.
Stuttering that persists beyond 6 months or is getting worse over time should be evaluated by a specialist.
Understanding the difference helps you know when to seek professional guidance.
| Feature | Normal Disfluency | Stuttering |
|---|---|---|
| Type of repetition | Whole words ("I-I-I want") | Part-word ("b-b-ball") |
| Frequency | Less than 10% of speech | More than 10% of speech |
| Physical tension | None | Visible effort, grimacing |
| Awareness | Child seems unaware | Child shows frustration |
| Duration | Comes and goes; resolves | Persists 6+ months |
| Secondary behaviors | None | Eye blinks, avoidance, head nods |
Source: Stuttering Foundation of America; ASHA Practice Portal, Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder.
Evidence-based stuttering treatment tailored to your child's age and severity.
We use proven approaches including the Lidcombe Program for young children, which has demonstrated significant stuttering reduction in randomized controlled trials (Jones et al., 2005).
75-80% of children who stutter recover with early intervention (ASHA; Jones et al., 2005).
"Our son was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 4. The first services we received was speech therapy as he was unable to express himself. We were lucky enough to have been paired with Stacey. Our son has been in speech therapy for almost a year now and has improved so much."
— Lopez Family, Dixon, CA
"STC helped me ease my daughter into attending sessions independently instead of needing me to accompany her to every session, which has given her more confidence. We've experienced other speech therapy service providers and STC is by far our favorite. It feels like a second home."— Ann & Rose, Vacaville, CA
Many children go through a period of normal disfluency between ages 2-5 as their language develops rapidly. However, if disfluencies persist beyond 6 months, include physical tension, or cause your child distress, a professional evaluation is recommended.
Normal disfluency involves occasional whole-word repetitions or interjections ("um," "uh"). Stuttering involves part-word repetitions ("b-b-ball"), prolonged sounds ("ssssnake"), or blocks where no sound comes out, often with visible tension.
The Lidcombe Program is an evidence-based behavioral treatment for young children who stutter. It involves parent-delivered feedback during natural conversations, guided by a speech-language pathologist. Randomized controlled trials show significant reduction in stuttering.
We accept Sutter HMO, Kaiser, Cigna, Blue Shield PPO, Western Health Advantage, and North Bay Regional Center for children ages 0-3.
While 75-80% of children who stutter do recover, we cannot predict which children will recover spontaneously. Early intervention improves outcomes and prevents the development of secondary behaviors like avoidance and anxiety.
Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your child's fluency.
Or call (707) 366-5246