Stammering
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What is Stammering / Stuttering?
Stuttering is a speech disorder that can cause a person to repeat, interrupt, or prolong sounds, syllables, or words when trying to speak. About 3 million children and adults in the India are affected.
If you stutter, you may know what you want to say but find it hard to get the words out. The words may seem to get stuck, or you may find yourself repeating them over and over. You may also pause at certain syllables.
Stuttering affects people of all ages, but it’s most commonly seen in children ages 2 to 6. This is called developmental stuttering and may have multiple causes. About 75 percent of children lose this stutter with time.
Causes of Stammering
Genetics
Stammering tends to run in families. If there is someone in your immediate or extended family, who used to stammer or who still does, then that suggests an inherited vulnerability. It is likely that there are several genes involved in stammering. Genetics does not entirely account for stammering. Studies of identical twins are shown that one can stammer while the other does not. This shows that other factors are involved in determining whether stammering emerges or not.
Brain Functions
Brain imaging studies have shown that people who stammer have subtle differences in the way that the brain has developed. There are differences the way that the brain processes speech signals, and also some small differences in the structure of some parts of the brain. This can be seen in children as young as three years of age. These differences are likely to be key in understanding why stammering develops for some people.
Speech motor skills
Research has shown that, as a group, people who stammer tend to be slightly slower at making the movements involved in speaking, for example getting voice started in the larynx or moving from one speech sound to the next. The implication of this is that speaking rapidly potentially puts a lot of pressure on a speech motor system that is not able to manage rapid speech easily. This can destabilise fluency. Taking time pressure off, for example by speaking a little more slowly, is often helpful.
Environmental or situational factors
People who stammer often say that they have more natural fluency when things are going fairly smoothly in life and when they are speaking in relaxed situations, for example when speaking with people who know them well, when they are not under time pressure, or when on a 1:1. Conversely people may stammer more in situations where there is more time pressure, when speaking to groups of people, or when there is an element of pressure in terms of making a good impression or performance.
Personality or temperament and emotions
Stammering is not caused by anxiety. Young children who stammer are not more anxious than those who do not stammer, however anxiety can develop when young people have experience of people reacting negatively to them stammering. Some, but not all adults who stammer experience high levels of anxiety in situations where they feel that they will be judged by how fluently they speak. Where this is the case it can be an important aspect to explore in therapy.
Language skills
If someone has any difficulties with language skills, for example difficulty thinking of the words they want or organising their ideas into spoken language, then this can disrupt the natural fluency of speech. Using more pauses can help give you more planning time if this is the case.
Signs And Symptoms

Stuttering signs and symptoms may include:
- Difficulty starting a word, phrase or sentence
- Prolonging a word or sounds within a word
- Repetition of a sound, syllable or word
- Brief silence for certain syllables or words, or pauses within a word (broken word)
- Addition of extra words such as “um” if difficulty moving to the next word is anticipated
- Excess tension, tightness, or movement of the face or upper body to produce a word
- Anxiety about talking
- Limited ability to effectively communicate
Treating Stuttering / Stammering
Treatment for stuttering varies based on a person’s age and communication goals. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) can help you determine the therapies that might work best for you or your child. Support groups for stuttering can also help.
Here are some available therapies to discuss with an SLP:
- Treatment for children: Early treatment with a professional can be very helpful in preventing long-term stuttering. A parent or guardian can help children by being patient when communicating with the child, listening carefully instead of interrupting, and checking in on their progress and feelings.
- Stuttering therapy: Breathing techniques, relaxation techniques, learning to speak more slowly, and addressing anxiety issues are among the techniques an SLP can use with both children and adults.
- Medications: There are no FDA-approved medications yet for stuttering, but some medications used for other conditions have been used for stuttering. Speak with your doctor or SLP for guidance, especially about any side effects.
- Medical devices: Researchers are looking into medical devices that could aid in speaking fluently, such as those that could fit into the ear, or using brain stimulation to help communication. More research is needed in this area.
