Stuttering usually starts between 2 and 6 years old. Many children go through normal periods of disfluency lasting less than 6 months. Stuttering lasting longer than this may need treatment.

There is no one cause of stuttering. Possible causes include the following:

• Family history. Many people who stutter have a family member who also stutters.

• Brain differences. People who stutter may have small differences in the way the brain works during speech.

Here are some risk factors for stuttering:

• Gender. Boys are more likely to stutter than girls.

• Family recovery patterns. Children with family members who stopped stuttering are more likely to stop, too.

• Mood and temperament. For children who stutter, mood and temperament may lead to more stuttering. Frustration or tension can cause more disfluencies. Being excited or feeling rushed can make you stutter more. You may stutter more if other people tease you or bring attention to your speech. Your stutter may embarrass you. Or, you may feel more anxious about talking.

• Triggers. Some life events may "trigger" stuttering. For example, a young child may start to stutter when he learns a lot of new words fast. He may be able to say one or two words fluently. But, he may stutter when he uses longer sentences.

Speech Modification (Fluency Shaping) Techniques:

Speech modification (including fluency shaping) strategies (Bothe, 2002; Guitar, 1982, 2013) include a variety of techniques that aim to make changes to the timing and tension of speech production or that alter the timing of pauses between syllables and words. These modifications are used regardless of whether a particular word is expected to be produced fluently. Strategies associated with speech modification include:

• rate control,

• continuous phonation,

• prolonged syllables,

• easy onset,

• light articulatory contact.

Other speech modification strategies, including appropriate use of pausing, are used not only to increase the likelihood of fluent speech production but also to improve overall communication skills (e.g., intelligibility, message clarity, etc.). In addition to being used for improving communication skills, pausing is also an effective method of rate control.

Keep in mind the child may be self-conscious about using these techniques.

Stuttering Modification Strategies (Reducing Physical Tension/Struggle)

• Identify where in the speech mechanism physical tension is and release it.

• Traditional stuttering modification strategies include preparatory set, pull-out, and cancellation and require a child to identify a moment of disfluency before, during, or after it occurs, making adjustments to reduce tension and struggle. The specific strategy that is selected will depend on when the child “catches” the disfluency, whether it be following a moment, in the moment, or in anticipation of the moment of disfluency (Van Riper, 1973).

• These strategies, like speech modification strategies, are introduced along a hierarchy of speaking situations that varies both with linguistic demands and with the stressors of the environment.

Strategies For Reducing Negative Reactions (Personal And Environmental Context)

• Desensitization

• Cognitive Restructuring

• Self-Disclosure

• Support Group

Source: https://www.speechandlanguagekids.com/stuttering-therapy-activity-ideas/