Answer: Many kids stutter at this age. It’s as if their brain is working faster than their mouth can. But the number 1 marker for a speech pathologist assessment is if the parents are worried, and you may be I’m gathering from your question. Early assessment and therapy if required provides the best outcome. If you have private health insurance then you could go to a private one, alternately a referral to a speech pathologist linked with your local community health centre or the children’s hospital closest to you would work. But bear in mind that waiting lists tend to be VERY Long so get in early is you are concerned. You can always cancel the assessment if you are no longer worried.
At 3.5 years she should be able to talk so that she’s not difficult to understand and is able to use simple sentences.
The majority of kids do work out just fine, they develop fluency with their speech and seem to “outgrow” their stuttering. But the big issue is that it is unpredictable which kids will be fine, and the risk is too great to just leave it to chance and keep your fingers crossed. I think it’s always better to err on the side of caution and have toddlers who are stuttering assessed by an expert.
Cheers
Jane