In which area is performance likely to be weaker in a preschooler who stutters compared to a typical preschooler?

In preschoolers who stutter, language performance is often weaker compared to typical preschoolers. Stuttering typically affects the fluency of speech, which can create challenges in the broader area of communication that includes language development. This can lead to difficulties in formulating sentences, word retrieval, and overall language use in conversation.

While a preschooler's hearing acuity is generally not directly impacted by stuttering, and voice quality may remain the same despite fluency issues, language development encompasses both expressive and receptive capabilities that may be hindered by the cognitive and emotional load of managing stuttering. The anxiety or frustration that can accompany stuttering may also affect a child's willingness or confidence to communicate, further impacting language skills. Swallowing, on the other hand, is not typically associated with stuttering and would not show weaknesses in this population.