What is stuttering?

Stuttering is a common speech disorder

where a person has difficulty expressing
themselves fluently, although they clearly
know what they want to say.
One or more of the following character-
istics can affect speech flow:
Difficulty starting to speak maybe a
silent period.
Speech interrupted with pauses of no
sound.
Repeated words or sounds (ie, I I I I I
think).
Prolonged words or sounds (ie, Hows
your heeeealth?).
There may also be associated body
movements such as nodding of the head,
shuffling of the feet or blinking of the eyes.
Many children can have a temporary
phase when the flow of speech is abnormal
but most of these do not develop a stutter.
Who is likely to stutter and when?
It usually starts in childhood between 2-5
years.
Stuttering can affect anyone but does run
in families. Children of parents who stut-
ter have a greater chance of stuttering.
It occurs in all races and classes of socie-
ty and in all languages.
About 5% of children will stutter at some
stage of speech development and stutter-
ing will persist into adulthood in 1%.
Stuttering is about three times more com-
mon in males.
Note: Some children who stutter may
avoid speaking.
Is stuttering associated with other
developmental skills?
As a rule, stuttering is not related to intel-
ligence. Generally, development in other
areas is normal. Many people who stutter do
not have problems with other oral presenta-
tions such as singing and whispering.
What factors affect stuttering?
Children are more likely to stutter when
anxious, such as facing a stage-fright situa-
tion, when reading to a group, when talking
about an unfamiliar topic or in unfamiliar
surroundings. Other factors include being
tired, excited, emotional, argumentative,
being rushed to speak and competing to be
heard. Having to use difficult words can also
cause a fluency problem.
When is help required?
Up to 65% of children who stutter gradu-
ally improve with increasing self-confidence
and maturity of their language skills. These
children may not need treatment. If stuttering
persists beyond 12 months or so, it is
unlikely to improve without speech therapy
and should be referred to a speech patholo-
gist. Treatment is recommended before five
years of age, and preferably from two-and-a-
half years.
Who provides specialist help?
Speech pathologists are trained therapists
who assess and recommend specific treatment.
They may be in private practice or employed
in hospitals or community health centres. Units
to treat stuttering can be found in most capital
cities. Ask your doctor for advice.
What is the nature and success rate
of treatment?
Treatment involves training to develop
fluency with an emphasis on constant feed-
back and reward for clear speech. The aim
is to train the child to speak confidently and
fluently. Excellent results are obtained, with
up to a 90% success rate. Treatment will
require regular visits and the involvement of
parents.
Dos and donts for parents
Do:
Praise your child for appropriate fluent
speech.
Be patient and ensure you listen to your
child without interruption.
Focus on what is being said rather than
the process.
Educate other family members to be tact-
ful, patient and supportive.
Repeat or paraphrase what is being
said to encourage understanding and
support.
Reassure your child about any expressed
concerns or frustrations.
Dont:
Draw inappropriate attention to the prob-
lem, especially to other people.
Criticise your child for stuttering.
Allow family members to tease or
ridicule the child.
Place your child in situations that could
cause embarrassment.
Talk with them to correct or complete
sentences.
Interrupt the flow of speech.
PATIENT INFORMATION
Stuttering
AUTHOR: PROFESSOR JOHN MURTAGH
Copyright of Professor John Murtagh and Australian Doctor. This patient handout may be photocopied or printed out by a doctor free of charge for patient information purposes.