Fluency refers to the flow with which sounds, syllables, words and phrases are joined together during speech production. Fluent speech involves the smooth coordination of the oral mechanism, speech articulators, and respiration.

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Stuttering or Disfluency Disorder is the most commonly known fluency disorder. It is characterized by sound and syllable repetition (e.g., I-I-I went to the s-s-store.) as well as secondary behaviors like blinking or blocking (i.e., getting stuck on a word). If your child demonstrates these behaviors, they may benefit from therapy.

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Language Formulation or Word Finding Disorder often imitates stuttering. Language formulation difficulties include word and phrase repetition (e.g., I went to the, I went to, I went to the store), frequent use of filler words or sounds (e.g., um, like, uh), and use of general words in place of specific vocabulary words (e.g., thing or that). If your child demonstrates these behaviors, they may benefit from therapy.