What is commonly observed in speech patterns of children who stutter?

In the speech patterns of children who stutter, it is commonly observed that disfluencies primarily occur on the first sound or syllable of words. This phenomenon is known as "initial sound repetitions" or "syllable repetitions," where the child may struggle to initiate speech, leading to interruptions characterized by repetition of sounds or syllables. These initial disfluencies are a hallmark of stuttering and reflect the cognitive and linguistic challenges faced by the child in the speech production process.

This pattern contrasts with other options, which suggest disfluencies occurring at the end of words or exhibit a consistent speech flow, neither of which accurately reflects the nature of stuttering. The correct answer aligns with established knowledge in the field of speech-language pathology regarding the characteristics of stuttering in children, emphasizing the significant impact of speech initiation difficulties in stuttering disorders.