Fluency disorders occur when a child's speech flow is interrupted by multiple repetitions, prolongations of sounds, and/or blocks of sound production. It is important to note that all speakers have moments of dysfluency. 

 

Fluency disorders are diagnosed when the frequency of dysfluency surpasses the average range.  Children suffering from fluency disorders may also exhibit secondary characteristics, such as eye blinks, gaze aversion, and head nods during moments of dysfluency.  SLPs diagnose fluency disorders by determining the percentage of the child's speech that is disfluent.