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Stuttering is a speech disorder that affects speech fluency and is often referred to as a dysfluency. The signs and symptoms of stuttering often include repetitions of words or parts of words and prolongations of words. Sometimes there is overuse of the words “um” or “uh,” which can make it difficult to hold a conversation.

 

Stuttering generally begins in childhood and if left untreated, may last a lifetime. The exact cause is unknown, though recent research notes genetics or certain emotional life events may contribute to this speech disorder. Stuttering appears to be more prevalent in boys and there does not appear to be a link between stuttering and intelligence.

 

What Are The Signs Of Stuttering?

Interestingly, we may all go through periods of normal dysfluency when we are young and learning to speak. However, if your child is having trouble and tends to hesitate or repeat certain syllables or words for more than two months, that could be a sign of a stuttering disorder

 

Some Revealing Signs

• Consistently repeating sounds in a word or words in a sentence

• Hesitating involuntarily between words in sentences

• Avoiding saying words that are too difficult to say

• Showing signs of struggle or anxiety when trying to speak

 

Treatment

 

After a comprehensive evaluation by a speech-language pathologist, a decision about the best treatment approach can be made. Several different approaches are available to treat children and adults who stutter. Because of varying individual issues and needs, a method — or combination of methods — that's helpful for one person may not be as effective for another.

Treatment may not eliminate all stuttering, but it can teach skills that help to:

• Improve speech fluency

• Develop effective communication

• Participate fully in school, work and social activities

 

How Can ST&B Help?

Since suttering is not something we generally outgrow, professional intervention is essential. Most intervention is “behavioral.” After an evaluation, the speech therapist will teach specific skills or behaviors that lead to improved oral communication. Some clients are taught to control or monitor the rate at which they speak. Others are instructed to breathe at a rhythmic pace. Singing has sometimes been found to be effective as well.

Program Highlights Include:

• Identify fluent vs. nonfluent speech

• identify the role of dysfluencies when speaking

• identify types of dysfluencies

• Identify individual patterns of disfluency

• Identify strategies to minimize disfluency and best match to pattern

• Identify personal existing strategies being used to work with disfluencies

 

A few examples of treatment approaches — in no particular order of effectiveness — include:

• Speech therapy. Speech therapy can teach you to slow down your speech and learn to notice when you stutter. You may speak very slowly and deliberately when beginning speech therapy, but over time, you can work up to a more natural speech pattern.

• Electronic devices. Several electronic devices are available to enhance fluency. Delayed auditory feedback requires you to slow your speech or the speech will sound distorted through the machine. Another method mimics your speech so that it sounds as if you're talking in unison with someone else. Some small electronic devices are worn during daily activities. Ask a speech-language pathologist for guidance on choosing a device.

• Cognitive behavioral therapy. This type of psychotherapy can help you learn to identify and change ways of thinking that might make stuttering worse. It can also help you resolve stress, anxiety or self-esteem problems related to stuttering.

• Parent-child interaction. Parental involvement in practicing techniques at home is a key part of helping a child cope with stuttering, especially with some methods. Follow the guidance of the speech-language pathologist to determine the best approach for your child.

 

If you're the parent

If you're the parent of a child who stutters, the doctor or speech-language pathologist may:

• Ask questions about your child's health history, including when he or she began stuttering and when stuttering is most frequent

• Ask questions about how stuttering affects your child's life, such as relationships with others and school performance

• Talk to your child, and may ask him or her to read aloud to watch for subtle differences in speech

• Differentiate between the repetition of syllables and mispronunciation of words that are normal in young children, and stuttering that's likely to be a long-term condition

• Rule out an underlying condition that can cause irregular speech, such as Tourette's syndrome

If you're an adult who stutters

If you're an adult who stutters, the doctor or speech-language pathologist may:

• Ask questions about your health history, including when you began stuttering and when stuttering is most frequent

• Rule out an underlying health condition that could cause stuttering

• Want to know what treatments you've tried in the past, which can help determine what type of treatment approach may be best

• Ask questions to better understand how stuttering affects you

• Want to know how stuttering has impacted your relationships, school performance, career and other areas of your life, and how much stress it causes

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