David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Stuttering
Mayo Clinic
Sept. 12, 2009
Stuttering ? also called stammering ? is a speech disorder that involves repeating or prolonging a word, syllable or phrase, or stopping during speech and making no sound for certain syllables.
Stress, fatigue and excitement can make stuttering worse. Situations in which you're self-conscious about speaking also can be difficult, such as giving a presentation or talking on the telephone. Stuttering usually decreases when you're relaxed.
Stuttering is common among young children when they're learning to speak. Most children outgrow stuttering on their own. For children whose stuttering is persistent, speech therapy can often help decrease stuttering.
As a parent, you can help by not drawing attention to your child's stuttering and by providing a relaxed, calm atmosphere at home in which your child feels comfortable speaking freely.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of stuttering include:
Many children stutter when they are learning to talk; it's common for kids between the ages of 2 and 5 to stutter. For most, the stuttering goes away on its own.
Call your child's doctor for an appointment if stuttering:
Researchers don't know the causes of stuttering, but factors that may cause stuttering include:
Although it's not clear why, most people who stutter can speak without stuttering when they talk to themselves and when they sing or speak in unison with someone else.
Risk factors
Factors that increase the risk of stuttering:
The complications most often associated with stuttering are social difficulties, such as fearing public speaking or, in cases of severe stuttering, avoiding speaking entirely.
Tests and diagnosis
To evaluate stuttering, your doctor or speech-language pathologist will ask questions about your child's health history, including when he or she began stuttering and when stuttering is most frequent.
Treatments and drugs
There's no specific cure for stuttering. Although some medications have been tried for stuttering, no drugs have yet proved to help the problem. Most children outgrow stuttering on their own, and no stuttering treatment is needed. If your child's stuttering lasts longer than six months or beyond age 5, speech therapy may be useful to help decrease stuttering.
Parental involvement
A common treatment method, often effective for early stuttering in preschoolers, includes the parents and involves slowing the speech and praising the child for speaking fluently.
Controlled fluency
This type of speech therapy not only requires the child to slow down his or her speech, but also teaches him or her to self-monitor for stuttering. Although children usually speak very slowly and deliberately when they begin this type of speech therapy, over time, they'll work up to a more natural speech rate with the help of a speech therapist.
Electronic devices
Several types of electronic devices are available to help people who stutter. One is called delayed auditory feedback, and this method requires your child to slow his or her speech or the speech will sound distorted through the machine. Another device mimics your child's speech so that it sounds as if he or she is talking in unison with someone else.
Coping and support
To help your child feel less self-conscious about stuttering, try not to emphasize or dwell on the problem. Instead, create a supportive, relaxed home environment where your child has many chances to speak freely.
What can help
The following tips can help:
Feeling stressed, hurried or pressured can increase stuttering. Avoid the following, as they can increase these feelings in your child, making stuttering worse:
Connecting with other people
It can also be helpful for children and for parents to connect with other people who stutter. Several organizations offer support groups. Along with providing encouragement, support group members may offer advice and coping tips you might not have considered. You can reach the Stuttering Foundation at 800-992-9392 and the National Stuttering Association at 800-WESTUTTER (800-937-8888), or on their Web sites.
Symptoms References
Mayo Clinic
Sept. 12, 2009
Stuttering ? also called stammering ? is a speech disorder that involves repeating or prolonging a word, syllable or phrase, or stopping during speech and making no sound for certain syllables.
Stress, fatigue and excitement can make stuttering worse. Situations in which you're self-conscious about speaking also can be difficult, such as giving a presentation or talking on the telephone. Stuttering usually decreases when you're relaxed.
Stuttering is common among young children when they're learning to speak. Most children outgrow stuttering on their own. For children whose stuttering is persistent, speech therapy can often help decrease stuttering.
As a parent, you can help by not drawing attention to your child's stuttering and by providing a relaxed, calm atmosphere at home in which your child feels comfortable speaking freely.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of stuttering include:
- Difficulty starting a word, sentence or phrase
- Repetition of a sound, syllable or word
- Rapid eye blinks
- Tremors of the lips or jaw
- Tension, tightness or movement of the face or upper body
Many children stutter when they are learning to talk; it's common for kids between the ages of 2 and 5 to stutter. For most, the stuttering goes away on its own.
Call your child's doctor for an appointment if stuttering:
- Lasts more than six months
- Becomes more frequent
- Occurs along with facial tension or tightness
- Occurs with other facial or body movements
- Affects your child's schoolwork or social interactions
- Causes emotional problems, such as fear or avoidance of situations in which your child has to talk
- Continues beyond age 5 or first becomes noticeable in early school age, when your child begins reading aloud in school
Researchers don't know the causes of stuttering, but factors that may cause stuttering include:
- Genetics. The fact that stuttering tends to run in families suggests there may be an underlying genetic cause.
- Language development. Stuttering affects many children as they learn to speak (developmental stuttering). Young children may stutter when their speech and language abilities aren't developed enough to keep up with what they want to say. Most children outgrow developmental stuttering, often within four years.
- Signal difficulties. Stuttering may occur because the signals between a person's brain and the nerves and muscles that control speech aren't working properly (neurogenic stuttering). This type of stuttering can occur in children, but it also may affect people who have had a stroke or other brain injury. Rarely, neurogenic stuttering may be the result of structural abnormalities (lesions) in the motor speech area of the brain.
Although it's not clear why, most people who stutter can speak without stuttering when they talk to themselves and when they sing or speak in unison with someone else.
Risk factors
Factors that increase the risk of stuttering:
- Family history. Stuttering tends to run in families. Scientists haven't identified a specific gene associated with stuttering yet, though research is ongoing.
- Sex. Boys are far more likely than girls to stutter.
The complications most often associated with stuttering are social difficulties, such as fearing public speaking or, in cases of severe stuttering, avoiding speaking entirely.
Tests and diagnosis
To evaluate stuttering, your doctor or speech-language pathologist will ask questions about your child's health history, including when he or she began stuttering and when stuttering is most frequent.
Treatments and drugs
There's no specific cure for stuttering. Although some medications have been tried for stuttering, no drugs have yet proved to help the problem. Most children outgrow stuttering on their own, and no stuttering treatment is needed. If your child's stuttering lasts longer than six months or beyond age 5, speech therapy may be useful to help decrease stuttering.
Parental involvement
A common treatment method, often effective for early stuttering in preschoolers, includes the parents and involves slowing the speech and praising the child for speaking fluently.
Controlled fluency
This type of speech therapy not only requires the child to slow down his or her speech, but also teaches him or her to self-monitor for stuttering. Although children usually speak very slowly and deliberately when they begin this type of speech therapy, over time, they'll work up to a more natural speech rate with the help of a speech therapist.
Electronic devices
Several types of electronic devices are available to help people who stutter. One is called delayed auditory feedback, and this method requires your child to slow his or her speech or the speech will sound distorted through the machine. Another device mimics your child's speech so that it sounds as if he or she is talking in unison with someone else.
Coping and support
To help your child feel less self-conscious about stuttering, try not to emphasize or dwell on the problem. Instead, create a supportive, relaxed home environment where your child has many chances to speak freely.
What can help
The following tips can help:
- Listen attentively to your child and maintain natural eye contact when he or she speaks.
- Wait for your child to say the word he or she is trying to say. Don't jump in to complete the sentence or thought.
- Set aside time when you can talk to your child without distractions. Mealtimes can provide a good opportunity for conversation.
- Speak slowly, in an unhurried way. If you speak this way, your child will often do the same, which can help decrease stuttering.
- Take turns talking. Encourage everyone in your family to be a good listener and to take turns talking.
- Strive for calm. Create a relaxed atmosphere in your home.
Feeling stressed, hurried or pressured can increase stuttering. Avoid the following, as they can increase these feelings in your child, making stuttering worse:
- Asking lots of questions
- Interrupting
- Insisting your child repeat stuttered words or telling him or her to start over when stuttering
- Encouraging your child to speak in front of a group of people
- Correcting your child with instructions, such as "Slow down," "Take your time" or "Take a deep breath"
- Telling your child to think before speaking
Connecting with other people
It can also be helpful for children and for parents to connect with other people who stutter. Several organizations offer support groups. Along with providing encouragement, support group members may offer advice and coping tips you might not have considered. You can reach the Stuttering Foundation at 800-992-9392 and the National Stuttering Association at 800-WESTUTTER (800-937-8888), or on their Web sites.
Symptoms References
- Ropper AH, et al. Normal development and deviations in development of the nervous system. In: Ropper AH, et al. Adams and Victor's Principles of Neurology. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2009. AccessMedicine | Normal Development and Deviations in Development of the Nervous System: Introduction
- Prasse JE, et al. Stuttering: An overview. American Family Physician. 2009;77:1271.
- Stuttering. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Stuttering
- Stuttering. American Speech-Language Hearing Association. Stuttering
- 7 tips for talking with your child. The Stuttering Foundation. Stuttering: Tips for Parents
