Why Do Kids Have Speech Problems?
Doctors and scientists aren’t completely sure why talking is difficult for some kids. But most believe speech difficulties occur because there’s a problem with the way the brain’s messages interact with the muscles and body parts needed for speaking. Many doctors and scientists believe that stuttering may be genetic (say: juh-neh-tik). This means that a characteristic – in this case, dysfluency – is passed on in the genes (say: jeenz). Kids who stutter are three times more likely to have a close family member who also stutters. So, if you stutter, you may have a grandmother, parent, or brother or sister who stutters or once did.
