SHARES
“I don’t think I’m good with words. Whether I’m on stage or among friends and family, it is hard for me to complete a sentence without pausing and repeating. My classmates at school are making fun of me for repeating words.” Daniel, a 12 years-old boy, conscious of his stuttering and finding it demoralising.
Understanding Stuttering
This is a speech disorder that affects people of all ages, especially young children between 2 – 6 years old. It is fairly common for kids who are learning to speak to stutter for weeks or even years. Most of the time, this period of speech problem lasts less than 6 months. Stuttering rarely becomes a chronic communication disorder that affects a person’s life. Comparatively, men are more likely to have it than women.
Signs and Symptoms
A person who stutters may repeat and prolong words or sounds. Common examples are “uh.. uh..”, “um..”, “you know”, “so-so”, “well-well”, “g-g-g-go” etc. One may even repeat phrases in a sentence or rephrase it. For instance, “I had-I had my breakfast”, or “I ate-I had my breakfast”.
Another characteristic is intermittent pausing. For example, “I want to (pause) go home”, “The cookie (pause) is nice”.
Stuttering largely associates with anxious feeling, rapid eye blinking, trembling lips and repeated nodding. Symptoms may worsen in stressful situation such as rushing, heated conversation, or speaking in front of crowds. On the other hand, singing, reading and speaking in unison with others seem to reduce stuttering.
Also, it is important to note that people who stutters know exactly what he or she would like to say. The words may not flow out fluently, but there is no problem with thought flow and intelligence. Yet, a person who stutters can have a hard time communicating with others. As such, this affects one’s quality of life, interpersonal relationships, job opportunities and performance.
Photo by NIH image Gallery from Flickr
Why Do We Stutter?
Voice production (phonation) and articulation require precise coordination of facial muscles, respiratory muscles, lips and tongue. This can never happen without the intricate work of our brain alongside special senses like hearing and touch sensation. We are naturally born with this potential but this needs to be trained.
The most common reason for stuttering is due to developmental delay. This happens when a child’s speech and language development lags behind verbal demands. Due to genetic predisposition, children with a family history of stuttering at younger age, are more prone to speech developmental stuttering.
A less common reason is brain injury. This can happen after a stroke, head trauma or other type of brain injury that damages the part of our brain responsible for speech and language.
Lastly, even though many believe it is a psychological issue, this is probably the least common cause. At any rate, it is true that emotional trauma at a younger age is more likely to cause problem in speech fluency.
Can Stuttering Be Treated?
In fact, about 75% of afflicted people outgrow it and recover completely. However, if a child starts stuttering later in life (older than 3.5 years old), or stutters for more than 6 – 12 months, or more frequently than before and avoid communicating with family members, get help from a health professional. A speech-language specialist can treat such speech disorders and prevent it from becoming a lifelong problem.
A large part of the therapy focuses on parental influence on children’s language and speech development. In all likelihood, having a positive attitude, and listening attentively when our children speak can encourage them to speak more confidently. Try not to complete sentences for them. Instead, wait patiently for them to complete their sentences and let them know it is okay to pause.
Practically, set aside time for talking to ensure that we communicate slowly in a relaxed mood.
For teens and adults, treatment is more direct and focused on the individual. This entails speech therapy, breathing exercise, stress management, psychotherapy for anxiety, etc. Additionally, ear-fitting electronic device that replays a person’s own voice to mimic the effect of speaking in unison with others is also available. Further, support groups do bring people together to account for one another’s personal growth and development.
Photo by Curtis Cripe from Flickr
Conclusion
Many of us go through a normal period of stuttering when we are young. We may repeat words and prolong sounds. Even though majority of people outgrow it, stuttering can become lifelong speech disorder if left unattended. Get help from healthcare professionals early if stuttering is becoming a problem!
References:
1. Stuttering [Internet]. American Speech-Learning-Hearing Association. 2020. (Available from: https://www.asha.org/stuttering/; ; last accessed on 2020 Oct 2)
2. Weatherspoon D. Stuttering [healthline]. Healthline Media. 2019. (Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/stuttering; last updated on 2019 Jan 16; accessed on 2020 Oct 2)
3. Stuttering [Internet]. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. 2020. (Available from: https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/stuttering; last updated on 2016 Feb; last accessed on 2020 Oct 2)
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by Chang Xian
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