Stuttering
Stuttering presents as a wide variety of both
visible and hidden symptoms. It is a multi-dimensional problem
involving a particular kind of speech behaviour, feelings, beliefs,
self-concepts, and social interactions.
Thus, when a person repeats or prolongs sounds or hesitates
for an unusually long time between sounds, we usually say that
that person stutters (or is dysfluent). A person who stutters
may also exhibit other behaviours such as facial grimaces and
unusual body postures or movements.
Every person who stutters is unique and presents a different
pattern of behaviour. The frequency of stuttered words, the
type of speech disruption, and the presence of, and type of
associated behaviour varies from person to person. How much
a person stutters varies greatly from time to time, from situation
to situation, from day to day, from week to week, from year
to year, and even from minute to minute.
The effects of stuttering on feelings, beliefs, self-concept,
and social interactions are often overlooked.
Stuttering is a social-emotional problem as well as a speech
problem. People who stutter often display intense fear of speaking,
experience repeated frustrations when communicating, and express
dissatisfaction with themselves. However, people who stutter
are not more neurotic than people who do not stutter, as was
once believed, but are just reacting normally to the stress
of their communicative handicap.
Normal Dysfluency vs. Stuttering
Most children go through a normal stage of dysfluency as they
begin to put sounds, words, and sentences together. Periods
of dysfluency may last anywhere from two months to five years.
What parents call stuttering is often a normal stage of speech
and language development.
Behaviours such as hesitations, word repetitions, and re-starts
characterize normal dysfluency. Although the child appears to
be stuttering he/she differs from a person who stutters in the
severity and pattern of his/her speech dysfluencies. Of those
chil-dren who exhibit normal dysfluency, most (50 to 70 percent)
have grown out of this speech pattern by age seven.
The Causes of Stuttering
Stuttering has bewildered researchers and philosophers for thousands
of years. Although the exact causes of stuttering are still
not known, considerable progress has been made during the last
25 years in our understanding of the disorder.
Current research suggests that it is caused by a complex interaction
between a person's physical makeup and the environment. That
is, stuttering may result when certain factors in the environment
combine to produce dysfluent speech in a child who is physiologically
prone to it. Once the child is dysfluent, he/she may be affected
by a multitude of environmental factors which cause the dysfluencies
to become more severe in frequency and form. Specifics about
the various environ-mental pressures and physiological characteristics
are not yet known.
Basic Facts
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There are no differences in intelligence between people
who stutter and those who do not.
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Stuttering is not a psychological disorder.
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There are more male than female people who stutter; a 3:1
ratio.
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Stuttering tends to run in families.
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Between 0.5 and 1% of the general population stutters,
thus making it a rare disorder.
-
Stuttering affects people from all levels of the socio-economic
scale and is found in all parts of the world.
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Children do not copy stuttering. You cannot pick it up
by copying someone who stutters.
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Parents do not cause stuttering. Some environmental factors
may affect the development and severity of stuttering, but
these factors are not likely the cause of stuttering.
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Stress and anxiety may aggravate stuttering.
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There are no magical, quick cures for stuttering.
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Research has demonstrated that stuttering can be controlled
by direct therapy and environmental changes.
When Should I Seek Help?
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When you are concerned.
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When your child shows recog-nition of his/her own speech
dif-ficulties. For example, he/she is reluctant to speak,
covers his/her mouth when speaking, expresses frustration.
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When the child's patterns of dysfluency change. For
example, become more frequent, struggle and/or forcing
becomes evident.
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When the child does not appear to be growing out of the
normal stage of dysfluency. That is, if the dysfluent
period lasts longer than 4-6 months.
If any of the above describe your situation/feelings, contact
a local speech-language pathologist, your provincial speech,
language, and hearing association or The Canadian Association
of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists.
General Tips for the Listener
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Do NOT hold your breath and appear alarmed.
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Listen patiently: Do NOT finish what they are saying.
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Listen to WHAT they are saying not HOW they are saying
it.
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Do NOT suggest they slow down or start over. Suggesting
that they slow down or start over may not help and could
result in calling attention to dysfluencies.
-
Attempt to offer a model by talking slowly and quietly
whenever possible.
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Attempt to create a relaxed com-municative environment.
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Do NOT interrupt. But, ask for clarification if the
message is not understood.
The Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists
and Audiologists
401 - 200 Elgin St.
Ottawa, ON K2P 1L5
613.567.9968 or 800.259.8519
Fax 613.567.2859
caslpa@caslpa.ca
www.caslpa.ca
© Communiqué, CASLPA/ACOA
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