Stammering (also called stuttering) is speech that gets interrupted by repeated sounds, stretched sounds or words that get stuck. Many young children grow out of it, but not all. Poorvam Care's speech-language pathologists in Electronic City assess your child, tell you whether to treat or watch, and coach you to help at home.
Most children who stammer do one or more of these. It often comes and goes from week to week.
Most toddlers repeat whole words or phrases now and then, especially when excited: "I want, I want the ball". That is usual while language grows fast.
Repeating parts of words ("b-b-ball"), stretching sounds, getting stuck, or showing effort or frustration when talking is more typical of stammering. If you are unsure which you are hearing, a short phone video of your child talking helps the therapist a great deal.
One of these is a reason to ask. A young child who has only just started can usually be watched for a few months first.
Therapy for young children who stammer works best before school age, while speech habits are still forming. An assessment tells you whether to start therapy now or watch with a plan.
The younger your child, the more of the work happens through you.
| Age | Focus | Your part |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 6 | Smoother speech through short daily practice and calm feedback | Most of it: a few minutes of practice a day, coached by the therapist |
| 7 to 11 | Techniques for smoother speech, and talking about stammering openly | Practice at home, and a word with the teacher |
| 12 to 14 | Techniques, confidence, and speaking in class and with friends | Support, and less pressure to sound fluent |
Stammering sometimes comes with other speech or language needs. One team plans all of it together.
Stammering therapy is part of our speech therapy in Electronic City, led by Apoorva Rai, MASLP, RCI registered, with 13+ years in practice.
Same speech-language pathologists and hours at both. Pick the one closer to home or school.
Hulimangala Rd, near Sai Mandir Temple, above RxDx Multi speciality Clinic, Shikaripalya, Electronic City, Hulimangala, Bengaluru 560105
Mon–Sat, 9 am – 7 pm. Sunday closed.
Lift available.
Closest for Hulimangla, Neeladri Nagar, Doddathoguru, Konappana Agrahara.
Ananth Nagar, Phase 1, Phase II, Electronic City, Hebbagodi, Bengaluru 560100
Mon–Sat, 9 am – 7 pm. Sunday closed.
Upstairs, reached by stairs. There is no lift.
Closest for Ananth Nagar, Hebbagodi, Bommasandra, Chandapura.
Families come to us from across south Bengaluru. Here's which centre is closer, and when online sessions make more sense.
From Whitefield or Marathahalli, many families start with an assessment at a centre, then do part of the weekly therapy online.
How online therapy worksSome repeating is common between ages 2 and 5, while language grows faster than the mouth can keep up. Many children who start stammering stop within a year or two. It is worth an assessment if it has lasted more than six months, if your child pushes, blinks or tenses to get words out, if they seem upset by it, or if someone in the family still stammers.
Many children do: studies of young children who start to stammer find most stop within a few years, often without therapy. Nobody can tell in advance which children will. Children who have stammered for more than a year, started after age 3½, or have a parent who still stammers are less likely to stop on their own, and therapy is worth starting.
None. Stammering is the word used in India and the UK, and stuttering the word used in the US. Both mean speech that is interrupted by repeated sounds or words, stretched sounds, or moments where the word gets stuck.
For children under about 6, the best-studied approaches are run mostly by parents, with a speech-language pathologist coaching them: short daily practice at home, and a calm, specific way of responding to smooth and bumpy speech. Older children also learn techniques for speaking more smoothly and work on confidence, so stammering stops deciding when they speak.
Wait for them to finish, keep looking at them, and respond to what they said, not how they said it. Avoid finishing their words or telling them to slow down or take a breath, which tends to make them more aware of it. Slowing your own speech a little and giving them unhurried time to talk each day helps.
Stammering is not caused by anxiety or by anything a parent did. It runs in families and is linked to how the brain plans speech. Excitement, tiredness or being rushed can make it worse on a given day, which is why it often comes and goes.
It depends on your child's age, how long they have stammered and how much practice happens at home. Young children often need a few months of weekly sessions plus daily home practice, then less frequent check-ins. We set goals at the start and review progress with you regularly.
Yes. Because so much of the work happens through parents, stammering therapy suits online speech therapy well. For families living near our Electronic City centres, the speech-language pathologist can also come to your home. Fees are explained on the first call: +91 88848 64343.
Book a speech assessment. We call back within one working day to plan the first visit.
