Stuttering, also known as stammering, is a communication disorder.

Experts don't know why this is so.

But much has been learned about the factors that contribute to the development of stuttering. Genetics plays a part, because stuttering tends to run in families. Young children who are pushed to speak and speak quickly also can develop a stutter. Parents can take several steps to help a stutterer. The main step is to slow down when speaking. Another way to help is to not bombard your child with questions. If you ask, "What did you do at Johnnie's house?" that forces the child to come up with an answer quickly. If you say, "You look like you had a good time at Johnnie's house," you give the child time to think, without pressure, and come up with an answer. Reading to your child can also help. And you don't have to read something complex for it to work. Simple nursery rhymes teach language by making it fun.

People who stutter often pick careers such as journalism or accounting that don't require a lot of talking. But what really helps someone who stutters is therapy and practice.

There is no magic pill that will make stuttering go away in a day. But a speech-language pathologist who specializes in stuttering can help. The amount of therapy and the length of time needed to accomplish certain goals may vary with each person.

Many children occasionally repeat syllables or words once or twice, li-li-like this. These speech differences are called dysfluencies. They may also include hesitancies and using fillers such as "uh," "er," and "um." Experts say that these dysfluencies occur most often between ages18 months and 5 years. They also tend to come and go. Just remember that these are often signs that a child is using language in new ways. Experts are working to find the gene or genes responsible for stuttering. Once that's done, a child who stutters may be able to have a simple blood test to see if they carry the marker for stuttering. If so, that child could then go into therapy right away. A child without the marker would outgrow their speech problem over time without therapy.

Teens are starting to date and interact socially. Problems with stuttering can make this time hard for them.

All of these people and many others went on to lead successful lives.

One way to find such a professional is to visit the Stuttering Foundation website at www.stutteringhelp.org. Or you may contact a nearby university or hospital clinic for a referral. You should look for a speech-language pathologist who has a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.