Clínica VivaldiFree call

Home · Resources · Disorders A–Z · Stuttering (childhood-onset fluency disorder)

Neurodevelopmental

Stuttering (fluidity disorder of childhood onset)

Changes in speech fluency, such as repetition of syllables, prolongation of sounds, or blockages, which cause anxiety when speaking or limit communication.

Common signs

Repeated syllables or prolonged soundsTense blocks when starting to speakAvoids situations where they have to speak

Tips

For you

  1. Listen calmly, without finishing their sentences or asking them to slow down
  2. See a speech therapist who specialises in fluency
  3. Work on speaking anxiety with psychological support

For family and friends

  1. Listen patiently and keep eye contact
  2. Don't finish their sentences or tell them to breathe

When to ask for help

  1. If they avoid speaking in class or at work
  2. If speaking anxiety holds them back

Guidance test

Answer thinking about the last few weeks. There are 8 questions and you get your result straight away. Your answers are not saved or sent.

0 of 8
1. I repeat syllables or sounds when I speak
2. I prolong sounds without meaning to
3. I get stuck when starting to speak
4. I feel tension in my face or neck when I speak
5. I swap words to avoid the ones I find hard
6. I avoid phone calls or speaking in public
7. I worry a lot about stuttering
8. Speaking makes me anxious
Also take the full social anxiety test →

Free resources

Downloadable PDF sheetSigns, tips and resources to print or saveFree guide: Childhood and youthFree resource from Clínica Vivaldi

Related disorders

Intellectual disabilityNeurodevelopmentalGlobal developmental delayNeurodevelopmentalLanguage disorderNeurodevelopmentalSpeech sound disorderNeurodevelopmental

Would you like to talk it through with a professional?

Book a first appointment with our team of psychologists, in person in Valencia or online from anywhere in Spain. If you're not sure where to start, ask for a free guidance call.

Free callWhatsApp +34 611 07 74 69

Reviewed by María Teresa Fernández Vicente, health psychologist and neuropsychologist (registration no. CV17304), in November 2026. Educational information prepared by the Clínica Vivaldi team based on the DSM-5-TR classification. It does not replace a professional assessment and cannot be used to diagnose.