Screening Test For Stuttering 'Closer'

A screening test for children starting school that could accurately detect early signs of a persistent stutter is a step closer, experts say.

The Wellcome Trust team says a specific speech test accurately predicts whose stutter will persist into their teens.

About one in 20 develops a stutter before age five - but just one in 100 stutter as a teen and identifying these children has so far been difficult.

Campaigners said it was key for children to be diagnosed early.

Stuttering tends to start at about three years old. Four out of five will recover without intervention, often within a couple of years.

But for one in five, their stutter will persist and early therapy can be of significant benefit.

Fluency check

The researchers, based at University College London, used a test developed in the US called SSI-3 (stuttering severity instrument).

In earl