Stammering or stuttering is a speech disorder. A person repeats with this disorder repeats, or may prolong, words, syllables, or phrases. People who stammer know what they want to say but have frequent and significant problems with the fluency and flow of speech. They may also pause in between speech because they encounter a word or sound that is problematic for them. Stuttering is most common amongst young children who are learning to speak. When children’s speech is not as developed as the speed of what they are trying to communicate, they tend to stammer. This developmental stammering is outgrown by most children. Stammering affects boys 5 times more than girls. In certain cases stammering could continue into adulthood. This speech disorder affects less than 1 percent of the adult population in the world.
Symptoms
The most common signs and symptoms of stammering are:
- Repetition of a sound, syllable or word
- Prolonging a word or sound within the word
- Difficulty in starting a word, phrase or sentence
- Pauses within a sentence or brief silences for certain words or syllables
- Hesitation before starting the utterance of certain sounds
- Limited ability to effectively communicate
- Excess tension and tightness of face to produce a sound
The speech difficulties of stammering are accompanied by:
- Tremors in lips or jaw
- Rapid blinking of the eyes
- Head jerks
- Fist clenching
Causes
The underlying causes of stammering are still being researched. A combination of factors are involved and possible causes could be:
- Genetics: stammering tends to run in families and it can result from inherited abnormalities.
- Abnormalities in speech motor control.
- Developmental stuttering: such as stuttering in children when they are learning to speak.
- Neurogenic stammering: this happens when the signals between the brain, speech nerves and muscles are not working properly. This usually happens in the following cases:
- Stroke
- Head trauma
- Tumors
- Degenerative diseases
- Other brain disorders
- Psychological factors: stress, embarrassment, and anxiety can make this speech disorder more evident and pronounced.
Treatment
Several approaches are available for the treatment of stammering. The disorder cannot be completely cured but the purpose of the treatment is to develop effective communication, improve speech fluency, and enable full participation in school, work, or social activities. A single method or a combination of methods may be prescribed depending on the individual need. These methods are:
- Speech therapy
- Electronic fluency devices
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Stammering modification therapy
When stammering is chronic that persists into adulthood, it is very important to get the treatment done to relieve the symptoms. This type of stammering can have a huge impact on self-esteem and interaction with other people and can lead to loss of social, school, or work participation and success.
Disclaimer: The information in no way constitutes, or should be construed as medical advice. Nor is the above article an endorsement of any research findings discussed in the article an endorsement for any of the source publications.
