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What Causes Fast Speaking And A Gasping Sound Before Speaking?
Hi my 13 yo niece has just started speaking quickly and is making a gasping sound just before she starts speaking. She is also having trouble sleeping. There is a family history of bi polar and no history of asthma etc. I m not sure if this is something physiological or phycological. Any help would be much appreciated. I am very worried about her. Thanks.
Wed, 17 Sep 2014
Hello and thanks for your query.
I understand that you are concerned about your niece's speech difficulty. From your brief description, this symptom of speaking fast with gasps in between could be suggestive of anxiety.
Some children may get anxious when they are in the midst of other people - this is called social anxiety. Also, underlying stress (due to problems in the family or at school) could also be a possible reason for her speech problems.
If this has happened recently and it is severe and distressing the child, then you can take her to a child psychiatrist for a detailed evaluation. It would also be a good idea to speak to the child privately and confidentially, to see if she is stressed out or anxious about anything. You can also gently suggest her to speak slowly by taking sufficient pauses between words and phrases. Speech therapy from a professional therapist may also be quite helpful.
Regards,
Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar
Consultant Psychiatrist
I understand that you are concerned about your niece's speech difficulty. From your brief description, this symptom of speaking fast with gasps in between could be suggestive of anxiety.
Some children may get anxious when they are in the midst of other people - this is called social anxiety. Also, underlying stress (due to problems in the family or at school) could also be a possible reason for her speech problems.
If this has happened recently and it is severe and distressing the child, then you can take her to a child psychiatrist for a detailed evaluation. It would also be a good idea to speak to the child privately and confidentially, to see if she is stressed out or anxious about anything. You can also gently suggest her to speak slowly by taking sufficient pauses between words and phrases. Speech therapy from a professional therapist may also be quite helpful.
Regards,
Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar
Consultant Psychiatrist
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