written by Cristine Jimenez, Language Stimulation Specialist
Stuttering is considered to be a fluency disorder. Before discussing the criteria for stuttering, it is important to be aware of what fluency is and how it affects speech.
Fluency
Fluency is the smoothness or flow at which the sounds, syllables, words, and sentences in speech, are made when put together in conversation. It is what allows other people to understand what we are saying. When fluency is decreased, comprehension is impaired.
Two Types of Fluency
Language fluency- is the ability to speak, understand, and write a language. For example, being fluent in the Spanish language. How fluent you are in a language depends on how well you know the rules, grammars, and sounds of that language.
Reading fluency- is the ability to read and understand written language correctly and quickly. Basically, how well you read. Some people are excellent readers, and can read out loud quickly and accurately. This would make them very fluent readers.
An individual who can communicate fluently will be able to express him/herself effortlessly and smoothly. And others will be able to understand them without trouble. A person, who has trouble doing so, may be characterized as having a fluency disorder.
There are different types of fluency disorders such as stuttering, cluttering, and acquired types of stuttering disorders. Stuttering is the most common type of fluency disorder; it affects about 1% of the American Population.
What is Stuttering?
Stuttering is a disorder that affects the fluency or “flow” of speech. It is a disruption of verbal expression; characterized by involuntary audible repetitions and/or prolongations of sounds, syllables, or words. These “disfluencies” are usually followed by gestures intended to facilitate speech. These gestures may include head jerking, strange facial expressions, and blinking.
There is an overt emotional side of stuttering, where the stutterer will feel embarrassed or ashamed of his/her speech, which worsens the difficulty. Frustrations will often times also make the act of stuttering worse as well, so it is important to remain calm when speaking if you are a stutterer.
Everyone experiences normal disfluencies, especially when they are nervous or anxious. Stuttering usually begins during early childhood and in most cases will disappear within 12-24 months. There is also a vast ratio comparison between genders; four boys for every one girl will be diagnosed with stuttering.
Signs of Stuttering
Stuttering is a very obvious disorder, so diagnosing it is not difficult. You can hear the stuttering occurring while a person speaks. Here are some signs to look out for:
Repetitions of sounds, syllables, or words
Prolongations of sounds, syllables, or words
Blocked speech: an individual will be trying to say something but no sound, or very little sounds come out
Using “um” or “uh” in order to stall and try to make a sound, syllable, or word.
When speaking, they mention irrelevant or incorrect information or even substitute words in order to hide the stuttering
Along with the obvious audible signs of stuttering, there are the physical signs as well. Individuals who have a stuttering difficulty will have a lot of muscular tension and forced speech. Also, be aware of the gestures and behaviors they display when trying to speak. They will blink their eyes, jerk their heads, and make strange facial expressions because they believe it facilitates their speech.
An individual may be diagnosed with stuttering if they have any of the following criteria:
Family history of stuttering
Disfluencies that occur longer than a six-month period
Other speech-language disorders
Just because one of these factors is present does not mean that the individual is a stutterer. When all of these signs are present then you should be sure to contact a professional.
Myths About Stuttering
There are many myths that we hear about stuttering. Here are some:
Because you stutter does not mean you are less intelligent. Remember, stuttering is a fluency disorder therefore; it affects the flow of speech. Stutterers are perfectly capable of reading, writing, doing mathematics, and everything else a fluent speaker can do.
You will not become a stutterer from hearing others stutter or by imitating a stutterer- stuttering is not an infectious or contagious disease. Although we do not know the cause, we do know that it is most likely a genetic based disorder.
Nervousness does not cause stuttering- nervousness or anxiety will not be the cause of stuttering, but a stutterer who is anxious or nervous may stutter more than normal. Stress aggravates stuttering; most people have disfluencies when they’re nervous, anxious, or stressed!
What to Do When Speaking to a Stutterer
Many people believe that they can help the stutterer by filling in words, interrupting, or looking away when the repetitions or prolongations begin. But these things have proven to worsen the problem. Since they are aware of their difficulty, it only makes the stutterer frustrated and stressed.
Parents also have the bad habit of telling their children “think before you speak” or “slow down” and other related phrases. Although their intentions are good, they do not necessarily help. Most of the time they just make the individual self conscious and embarrassed of their speech.
The best way to handle an interaction with a stutterer is to be as calm and supportive as possible. Listen to them and when they begin to stutter, just let them get the words out. Do not look anxious or uninterested in what they are saying. Everyone is different so maybe some individuals appreciate help when speaking. As you interact with the individual you will learn more about them and how to deal with their stuttering.
Treatment for Stuttering
Stuttering can be treated through various methods of speech and behavior therapy. Since stuttering is thought to be a “behavioral” a speech therapist will teach the patient control and specific skills that facilitate speech. SLP’s will also teach the individual specific breathing methods to calm them down that allow clearer speech. At the beginning, slow speech is encouraged and as improvement occurs, the speed of speech with fastened.
Like autism, stuttering is not a curable disorder. It is one that can be modified through intervention, though. With the help of therapists, teachers, doctors, and especially the help of family and friends, you can help your child achieve good speech. It is not easy to eliminate stuttering all together, and your child will have to put effort, but in the end it is all worth it!
For more information on Stuttering please visit:
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/stuttering.htm
The Stuttering Foundation of America has these additional two links:
