Download [1] a PDF of these questions.

Note: These questions are listed in order of the seriousness of the problem. If a parent answers 'yes' to any question other than number 1, it suggests the possibility of stuttering rather than normal disfluency.

1. Does the child repeat parts of words rather than whole words or entire phrases? (For example, 'a-a-a-apple')
2. Does the child repeat sounds more than once every 8 to 10 sentences?
3. Does the child have more than two repetitions? ('a-a-a-a-apple' instead of 'a-a-apple')
4. Does the child seem frustrated or embarrassed when he has trouble with a word?
5. Has the child been stuttering more than six months?
6. Does the child raise the pitch of his voice, blink his eyes, look to the side, or show physical tension in his face when he stutters?
7. Does the child use extra words or sounds like 'uh' or 'um' or 'well' to get a word started?
8. Does the child sometimes get stuck so badly that no sound at all comes out for several seconds when he's trying to talk?
9. Does the child sometimes use extra body movements, like tapping his finger, to get sounds out?
10. Does the child avoid talking or use substitute words or quit talking in the middle of a sentence because he might stutter?