The following risk factors are common amongst individuals with a stuttering difficulty:

• Evidence shows that stuttering is hereditary; if a family member has been diagnosed with stuttering chances are other members of the family will have it too.
• If stuttering begins before the age of 3, the child will most likely outgrow it.
• In most cases, children will only stutter for 12-24 months and then suddenly outgrow it. For those who stutter for longer than 12-24 months, they will need intervention to aid the stuttering.
• Girls are more likely than boys to outgrow stuttering, making boys more prone to having a stuttering difficulty.
• Normal disfluencies occur, but usually disappear within a short period of time. You should be concerned if these disfluencies prolong over a period of time.

Remember, just because your child shows any of these signs does not necessarily mean he/she is a stutterer.  But be sure to check in with a professional for more information.

To read more about these 5 risk factors, please visit: http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=111