Hey Annie

I'm a Speech Pathologist...I don't work in the area of stuttering...but know some things about it...

I think you're doing the right thing thinking about getting a referral. It's true that some kids do grow out of stuttering...but some don't...and it's one of those things that if you can work on it early (ie. under 5 year old), it's so much easier to remediate...

Stuttering is basically due to motor planning difficulties...basically the brain sends a "bumpy" message to the larynx...and then the words come out bumpy...they can either be sound repetitions (e.g. c-c-c-cat); word repetitions (e.g. I..I..I..I..want one); fillers (e.g. um...um...um..um..) and blocks.

Stuttering comes and goes...sometimes it can go "underground" for months at a time...but it can then re-appear...it tends to appear when our 'systems' are more under stress (e.g. really tired, really emotional, when kids are having a language burst)

For kids who are under 5, Australia is one of the world leaders in stuttering therapy. The therapy is pretty straight-forward, fun, and very effective...

If you can avoid waiting in the public health system, that's great...but I know that's not always possible. The other thing to check out would be University Speech Pathology Departments...the therapy is done by Speech students, but it's highly supervised and generally the latest techniques are being used...

If you do decide to go private, try and go for a specialist in stuttering...

I'm sure everything will work out fine...all the very best!