Stuttering in Adults

by Sam Malone

Stuttering or stammering is a speech disorder where the flow of normal speech is disrupted by the repetition of a sound or a syllable. It is also known as disfluent speech and may also be characterized by silent blocks where the individual draws out a syllable silently or vocally. The stuttering may also be accompanied by certain physical signs such as rapid eye blinks or facial twitching and it may get aggravated by certain stressful situations such as speaking in front of other people. On the other hand, certain situations such as singing or reading aloud when alone may lessen the degree of stuttering.

Almost 3 million Americans are affected by some form of stuttering, most of them being children between the ages of 2 and 5. In the case of adults, the incidence of stuttering is less than 1%. There are two types of stuttering, developmental stuttering (DS) and acquired stuttering (AS). Developmental stuttering affects children during the early stages of their speech and language development. Its onset is gradual and usually clears up by the time the child reaches puberty.

Acquired stuttering occurs in individuals who were formerly fluent. Adult stuttering falls into this category and is characterized by the sudden onset of disfluent speech unlike developmental stuttering. The sudden onset of stuttering in adults may be either neurogenic or psychogenic in origin. Neurogenic stuttering originates in the nerves that transmit signals between the brain and the various muscles that are involved in the formation of speech. Damage to these nerves caused by trauma to the brain or a stroke is the main cause of neurogenic stuttering. Psychogenic stuttering is psychological in origin, usually occurring after periods of extreme stress or some form of emotional trauma. It is also found in many individuals who suffer from mental illnesses.

Neurogenic Stuttering

Speech requires precise coordination between the muscles that control the throat, larynx, tongue, palate and lips. The functioning of these muscles is governed by the brain and monitored by the senses of touch and hearing. For speech, all these muscles must move in a specific series of coordinated movements. Any interruption in the signals transmitted by the brain via the nerves will cause a disruption in speech. The interruption may be caused by damage to the nerves, a stroke or trauma to the brain.

Psychogenic Stuttering

The complex coordinated motor functions required for fluent speech is akin the coordination required for other skills such as driving a vehicle or operating complicated machinery. Any form of stress or excitement can affect performance while driving and the same factors can also affect speech and cause stuttering.

A speech-language pathologist is the correct professional to consult for the treatment of stuttering. These are professionals who are trained and qualified to treat people with any kind of speech disorder including stuttering. The goal of treatment is to reduce or eliminate the stuttering so that the individual is better able to carry out normal living activities. Your doctor will be able to refer you to a qualified speech-language pathologist.

The pathologist will decide on the appropriate treatment approach based on several factors. These include:

The family history of the individual
The time when the stuttering was first noticed
The incidence that triggered the stuttering
The duration and severity of the condition
The impact the stuttering has on the individual’s life

Once the cause of the stuttering has been determined the speech-language pathologist will recommend a course of treatment. Often, this will call for a coordinated approach involving the speech-language pathologist and the other health care professionals involved in treating the individual. In the case of neurogenic stuttering, a neurologist may be involved while in the case of psychogenic stuttering, a psychologist or psychiatrist may be involved. There are many approaches to treatment and the choice of the most effective one is best left to the speech-language pathologist.

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