"cluttering" and speech therapy
 

To my surprise, my 6-year-old son was just referred for speech assessment, for
something called cluttering. I haven't yet talked to the speech pathologist
about the results, but on looking up cluttering, I find that several folks on
misc.kids over the years have had some experience with it in their kids. It
involves getting stuck in the middle of expressing a thought, and repeating the
beginning of the sentence over and over until it somehow becomes possible to go
on. (This is common in preschoolers but apparently is supposed to clear up for
the most part by school age.) I am pretty sure my son's case is fairly mild, as
he speaks quite clearly otherwise, but it seems to be enough that his teacher
thinks it is interfering with his ability to contribute to class discussions
and such.

Anyway, I'd like to hear experiences. Thanks.

--Helen

Cluttering is part of my speech impairment (my speech is pretty much stuck
at a 4-6 year old level, but with adult vocabulary and syntax-I was in
speech therapy from age 5 until age 20). For me, what it involves is having
what I want to say in my head, but being unable to get out, so either
repeating or rephrasing the first part of the thought, signing it, or
writing it down to get around the block. It is MUCH worse under stress, and
in any non-rehearsed setting, so stress reduction and relaxation techniques
help a great deal. So, while he may speak clearly at home without a problem,
at school when he's called on, it may be an issue. For me, therapy involved
learning some of the above methods to get around the blockage.

In my case, I also have a pretty severe articulation disorder, and part of
the problem is that if I hear that I've missaid something, it can set me up
for the cluttering.

--
Donna DeVore Metler
Orff Music Specialist/Band/Choir
Mother to Angel Brian Anthony 1/1/2002, 22 weeks, severe PE/HELLP
And Allison Joy, 11/26/04 (35 weeks, PIH, Pre-term labor)

H Schinske wrote:
To my surprise, my 6-year-old son was just referred for speech
assessment, for something called cluttering. I haven't yet talked to
the speech pathologist about the results, but on looking up
cluttering, I find that several folks on misc.kids over the years
have had some experience with it in their kids. It involves getting
stuck in the middle of expressing a thought, and repeating the
beginning of the sentence over and over until it somehow becomes
possible to go on. (This is common in preschoolers but apparently is
supposed to clear up for the most part by school age.) I am pretty
sure my son's case is fairly mild, as he speaks quite clearly
otherwise, but it seems to be enough that his teacher thinks it is
interfering with his ability to contribute to class discussions and
such.

Anyway, I'd like to hear experiences. Thanks.

Both my boys did this to some extent. Hunter could barely get a sentence
out he did it so much. Sometimes he'd just give up talking all together.
It was a bit frustrating to listen to and very frustrating for him because
it was just so excessive. I was told that his thoughts were moving at a
faster clip then his mind could get the words out so he'd just keep
repeating until he could get them out. He had some other things going on.
No one was very concerned about it at his age.

Luke does it a bit, not nearly as excessive. He's 3.5. He knows the words
but when he's tired, stressed, or very excited he can't get them out fast
enough. I've heard it referred to as 'place holding' because he'll just
keep repeating the first part, or first word, so he doesn't loose his place
in the conversation.

I'm not sure when they 'should' grow out of it but Hunter no longer does it
at 5.5. I imagine he probably has spells like that (getting stuck on what
to say) but he either just keeps quiet or doesn't speak until he has it
worked out.

--
Nikki

"H Schinske" wrote in message
...


Anyway, I'd like to hear experiences. Thanks.

As you have, I'm sure, discovered, my DD is a clutterer, although a number
of years of speech therapy has helped her with her articulation. I'd be
happy to discuss this in detail offline. She doesn't really like me talking
about her issues online.

M

I had never heard of this, but it sounds like what my 7 y/o ds does.
He will be talking, stop, then repeat the last word or the last part of
the last word he said (sometimes more than once) before he continues.
We always thought it was just something he did.

So is this a common problem in young children. I have recenlty noticed
my son doing this. He didn't really started talking until his second
birthday and learned quite quickly from then and now has quite and
extensive vocabluary and makes decent sentances. But in the last
couple of months I've noticed that he'll get stuck for words and repeat
the first part of a sentance 1/2 dozen times or so until he can get the
rest of his thoughts out. I just assumed it was his age (he just turned
3 last week). I didn't realize it actually had a name. From the
posts it sounds like something he will grow out of by school age,
correct?

Interesting,

Shelley
mom to Jacob (3 yo)
edd mar 30/05

"Bodi" wrote in message
ups.com...
I had never heard of this, but it sounds like what my 7 y/o ds does.
He will be talking, stop, then repeat the last word or the last part of
the last word he said (sometimes more than once) before he continues.
We always thought it was just something he did.

No, that doesn't sound like cluttering. Cluttering is when a person's mind
moves much faster than their mouth, so they start talking but their mind is
racing way ahead, and they get lost partway through the story, and have to
start back at the beginning. It isn't repeating just a word, it's starting
the whole story over again and again because they get totally lost in the
telling. It is related to word finding dysfluencies, a person gets stuck on
a word and can't recall what it is, so just stops short and looks around for
cues, but can either substitute another word or can fill in with a
'whatchamacallit' filler word. That's fairly common in younger kids who
don't have complete English fluency yet or have a limited vocab. Cluttering
is far more challanging and usually cannot be detected in a young child.

animzmirot wrote:

No, that doesn't sound like cluttering. Cluttering is when a person's
mind moves much faster than their mouth, so they start talking but
their mind is racing way ahead, and they get lost partway through the
story, and have to start back at the beginning. It isn't repeating
just a word, it's starting the whole story over again and again
because they get totally lost in the telling.

The word 'cluttering' may be used inappropriately at times, or depending on
how old the child is. I see what your saying above and while similar, it
isn't exactly what I was talking about in my post. I think you're right btw
so I'm not arguing your point ;-) My kids actually did just say the first
half of the sentence or the last word over and over. They were a bit to
young to tell a whole long story. The reason I was given was the same (mind
moves faster then their mouth) but it was not a concern at their age
(3-4/5yo). Perhaps it is the same basic thing but generally goes away with
maturation/development and if it doesn't, it becomes 'cluttering' in the
diagnostic sense you mention.

It is frustrating when professionals give us parents shorthand terms etc. It
might work for some people but it confuses things for those parents that
want to do any kind of further research etc.
--
Nikki

In ,
animzmirot wrote:

*
*"Bodi" wrote in message
oups.com...
* I had never heard of this, but it sounds like what my 7 y/o ds does.
* He will be talking, stop, then repeat the last word or the last part of
* the last word he said (sometimes more than once) before he continues.
* We always thought it was just something he did.
*
*No, that doesn't sound like cluttering. Cluttering is when a person's mind
*moves much faster than their mouth, so they start talking but their mind is
*racing way ahead, and they get lost partway through the story, and have to
*start back at the beginning. It isn't repeating just a word, it's starting

Oh, that has a name and is an actual recognized entity? I just thought it
was something really annoying that happens to me now and then :)

--
Hillary Israeli, VMD
Lafayette Hill/PA/USA/Earth
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it is
too dark to read." --Groucho Marx