New classroom, new teacher, new faces at circle time. For any child, the start of the school year means far more talking than a slow August afternoon. For a child who stutters, it can also mean far more pressure: answering questions in front of classmates, reading aloud, introducing themselves to a teacher who does not know them yet.
As speech and language therapists, we see this shift every September. With a little preparation, it does not have to be a setback.
Stuttering, also called stammering, is a disruption in the flow of speech. It can appear as repeated sounds or syllables, prolonged sounds, or silent blocks where the word will not come out at all. It often comes with physical tension in the face, jaw or body, and with the effort of pushing a word through.
A few points that matter for parents:
If you have searched for how to talk to a child who stutters, you have almost certainly met one dominant rule: never finish their sentences, never offer a word, just wait patiently no matter how long it takes.
It is well meant advice, but it misses something important. Watching a child struggle in silence is not automatically the more respectful choice. Sitting back and waiting it out can leave a child feeling just as unsupported as being cut off mid-sentence. What actually matters is how you are present as a listener, not whether you technically avoid ever helping.
The more useful approach is to stay genuinely engaged with what your child is trying to tell you rather than with how they are getting the words out. If they are visibly stuck, it is perfectly fine to offer a word or gently suggest how the sentence might finish. Offer, never impose, and check whether that is the kind of support they actually want. Some children want the floor to say it themselves. Others are relieved when you help them across the finish line. It comes down to knowing your own child, not following a blanket rule found online.
This distinction between disengaged waiting and active, attentive listening comes from decades of clinical research into the parent and child communication dynamic, most notably the work of the French phoniatrician Dr. François Le Huche. The guiding principle behind our own approach to therapy is simple: priority is given to the quality of communication over the formal quality of speech. Connection first, fluency second. When a child feels genuinely heard, the pressure to perform fluently tends to ease on its own.
The conversation does not need to be long or formal. A few sentences before or during the first week are usually enough:
My child stutters. It is nothing to worry about and he knows what he wants to say, he just needs a little more time to get it out. The most helpful thing is to give him that time without finishing his sentences. He would rather not be asked to read aloud unprepared, but he is happy to volunteer when he feels ready. If anything comes up with the other children, I would be glad to hear about it.
Ask the teacher to consider:
Some of the most common responses come from love and still increase the pressure:
For preschool and early primary aged children, roughly two to six years old, the Lidcombe Program is one of the most researched and evidence-based behavioural treatments for early stuttering. It is a structured, parent-delivered approach that fits naturally into everyday routines, school mornings included.
The parent, trained and supervised weekly by the therapist, delivers the treatment during short daily sessions at home, which is what makes it practical for busy families across the UAE. If your child is in this age range and beginning to stutter, early intervention is one of the most effective steps available, and it is never too early to ask for an assessment.
We do not treat stuttering by chasing fluency for its own sake. Our therapy is built around helping each child communicate with less struggle and more confidence, at home and now back in the classroom. Sessions are available in Arabic and English.
If the return to school has raised new questions about your child’s speech, our team in Dubai is here to help you navigate it together.
Many young children do recover, but there is no reliable way to predict which ones. Because early intervention is most effective in the preschool years, assessment is recommended rather than waiting.
No. Growing up between Arabic, English or any other languages does not cause stuttering and is not a reason to drop a language.
Yes, and early. A brief conversation in the first week prevents the teacher from responding in ways that unintentionally increase pressure.
Variability is very typical. Stuttering often increases with excitement, tiredness or time pressure, and can almost disappear on other days.
As soon as there is concern. For children between two and six, structured early treatment such as the Lidcombe Program has strong evidence behind it.
If the new school year has brought questions about your child’s speech, contact Talking Brains Center in Dubai to arrange an assessment with our speech and language therapy team.
Stuttering Foundation of America, back to school resource collection. Dr. François Le Huche, clinical framework on stuttering. The Lidcombe Program, Australian Stuttering Research Centre.