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 Stuttering, also known as stammering or disfluent speech is a disorder that affects an individual’s speech resulting in the repeated utterance of sounds or syllables that disrupt the normal flow of speech. These disruptions in an individual’s speech may be accompanied by other signs such as rapid eye blinking, facial tics or a trembling of the lips, making it appear that the individual is struggling to get the words out.

The degree of stuttering can vary. When in the presence of many people or while talking on the telephone, the stuttering might occur more often. Actions such as singing, reading out aloud or speaking in unison, helps reduce the stuttering.

There are approximately 3 million Americans who are affected by this speech disorder, with the condition most commonly occurring in the case of children during their early development that is, between the ages 2 to 5. About 5% of all children will develop some degree of stutter throughout their lives but most of these will clear up spontaneously by the time the child attains puberty. This type of stuttering is known as developmental stuttering.

When a person speaks, sound emanates from the vocal cords and is modulated by the action of several muscles. Speech requires a complex series of coordinated muscle movements that involve breathing, voice production or phonation and articulation which involves the movement of the throat, tongue, palate and lips. The coordinated movement of all these muscles is controlled by the brain and monitored by the senses of touch and hearing.

Although the exact causes of stuttering are not known, in the case of children whose language skills are still developing, scientists suspect that developmental stuttering occurs when the child’s speech and linguistic abilities are unable to meet the verbal demands. It has also been noticed that developmental stuttering tends to run in families and scientists have now been able to pinpoint three genes that cause this condition.

A diagnosis of developmental stuttering is usually made by a speech-language pathologist (SLP), a professional who is trained to test and treat individuals with speech disorders such as stuttering. In making a diagnosis of developmental stuttering, the speech-language pathologist will take into account numerous factors. These include:

• The child’s case history
• The time when the stuttering was first noticed
• The circumstances under which it occurred
• An analysis of the child’s stuttering behavior
• An analysis of the child’s speech and linguistic abilities
• The impact stuttering has had on the child’s life

The speech-language pathologist will also try to predict the likelihood of the child continuing to stutter or whether it will clear up and by what age. The speech-language pathologist’s prediction will be also based on factors such as the family’s history of stuttering. The duration for which the stuttering has been detectable and whether the child has other problems with speech or language.

While no cure exists for developmental stuttering, several treatment options are available. The speech-language pathologist will be the best person to advise you on the treatment options with the best chance of success.

Early treatment of developmental stuttering can increase the likelihood of a successful outcome. Many parents tend to ignore the problem in the mistaken belief that it will disappear on its own or that nothing can be done about it. This is a mistake as left untreated till a later age can lead to it becoming a lifelong problem.

The speech-language pathologist will outline a strategy to help the child improve his or her speech fluency and at the same time inculcate within the child a positive attitude towards communication. Some professional recommend evaluating the child every 3 months to determine if the stuttering has increased or decreased. Treatment also involves educating the parents about their response to the child’s stuttering and teaching them how to support their child’s production of fluent speech.

Reference:

1. http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/pages/stutter.aspx

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