Adolescent stuttering increases risk of this chronic adult illness, research reveals

A study suggests adolescents who stutter could be more at risk for developing a specific chronic illness in later life - we look at what's been said and how it could affect your child.

Parents can come across any number of differences to support their child with, across all stages of their development. Although more needs to be done, understanding about many of them is improving as research furthers our knowledge about them. The conversation is opening up around ADHD symptoms, and the three different types of the condition that exist. There's also six upsides to ADHD that kids might actually want to think of as superpowers.

Speech difficulties are also common in childhood, with the NHS reporting stuttering affects one in 12 young children. Around 2 in 3 children who stammer will go on to overcome it, but it can continue into adolescence and adulthood - there's no timeline for when it might improve or disappear. Neurodiversity and speech issues are never anyone's fault, and can happen to any child.

However, a study reveals parents of adolescents who stutter should be on the lookout for the potential for them to develop an entirely different condition in early adulthood. The findings suggests a link between stuttering and the onset of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes in early adulthood among both men and women.

The research was undertaken because stuttering has been associated with abnormal dopamine activity, which has also been linked to altered glucose metabolism. Among the adolescents with stuttering studied, 10.6 per cent and 15.5 per cent of men and women respectively, developed blood sugar issues.

The exact reason for the link between stuttering and type 2 diabetes is not yet known. However, some researchers believe that it may be due to genetic factors, while others link it to differences in brain structure. Parents of children who stutter are urged to discuss implications and the need for diabetes information and screening with their GP.

How to support your child with a stutter

We spoke to Speech and Language Therapist therapist Gaby Harris, who tells us "Talking is a really complex task which involves skills such as having to think about what we want to say, find the right words, put words in the right order and finally coordinate the speech muscles in the mouth to say it. 

This sophisticated process can be particularly demanding for small children whose muscles, coordination and knowledge of vocabulary are still in the process of development. Try the following strategies to take the pressure off yourself and your child, so that your child knows they have plenty of time to plan and organize their play and thoughts."

• Try not to make their talking a focus - Watch what they are doing in play and what they are showing you with their body language (facial expressions as well as hand gestures). Listen to what they are trying to say, don’t worry if their production is not 100% correct.
• Take pressure off your child to talk - Try not to tell them to say ‘thank you’, ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ etc. and AVOID asking your child to REPEAT YOU – if he chooses to – perfect. If he doesn’t it’s fine. 
• Try not to jump in too quickly to correct your child’s speech - If you want to show your child how to say a word, wait for your eyes to meet (so you know they are ready to listen) and then repeat the word back correctly (this is recasting).
• Avoid ASKING too many QUESTIONS such as what’s that? Do you want this?
• Focus on what your child is saying rather than how they are saying it
• Ensure they are well-rested: Children who are tired are more likely to stammer as the demands on them are higher
• Be open about stammering: Let your child know that stammering is a common way of speaking and acknowledge that it can be tricky at times. 
• Seek professional help: If you are concerned about your child's stammer, a speech and language therapist can assess your child's needs and support you to help your child within everyday interactions at home. 
• Put out some of the things your child loves.  Follow their lead in play, watching what they do with the toys rather than making suggestions, allowing them time and space to organize their own thoughts.
• Provide a safe space - Sit opposite them in their ‘listening space’ to let them know they have your full attention and so that they benefit from feeling your calm and positive energy. When your child looks up at you, light up your face with a reassuring smile
• Self talk: Let your child talk to themselves when they are playing, without interruptions. Wait for them to look up at you and seek your response. This will give your child more time to play with sounds and words as well as plan and organize their thoughts.
• Use simple language so that your child does not feel pressured to formulate long and complex sentences, modelling a calm, slow rate.
• Allow lots of silence - Don’t feel like you need to make a running commentary on what your child is doing when they play.  Silence supports your child in self-regulating (calming themselves) and gives them time to organize and process their thoughts. 
• Listen to your child’s signals - When children look away they are trying to manage their level of stimulation and regulate. In other words they might be trying to tell you that they are feeling overwhelmed and need time to think. 

For more on child and adolescent health, could your teen be part of the anxious generation who have the rise in social media use affecting their mental health? If they are affected by this, we share tips on stopping them from doomscrolling.