Stuttering Info

Everyone's speech is disfluent (meaning not smooth) sometimes!
We have interjections (like "Um" and "Uh"), we revise what we say ("I went to the...WE went to the store"), and we repeat words or phrases ("I can't remember...I can't remember it").

To be considered stuttering, interruptions in speech:

• Are more frequent than for most speakers, and/or

• Last longer than for most speakers, and/or

• Include "stuttering-like disfluencies." There are 3 types:

1. Repetitions of sounds (e.g. "I w-w-want") or monosyllabic words ("And and and and")

2. Prolongations of sounds (e.g. "I wwwwwwwant")

3. Blocks, or prolongations of pauses (e.g. "I ____ want")

Stuttering might also be accompanied by associated physical tension, negative feelings including feeling out-of-control, abnormal muscle tension, avoidance behaviors, and/or secondary behaviors (e.g. eye blinks, facial grimacing, changes in pitch or loudness).

STUTTERING IS VERBAL DIVERSITY :)

In other words, stuttering itself is not a bad thing! 👍
What is bad: when stuttering negatively impacts emotional, psychological, relational, social, leisure, or vocational experiences. 👎

We don't know all the reasons, but we do know:

1. Parenting style does NOT cause stuttering. Although speech therapists can give you tips for ways you CAN support your child, you need to know that your child does not stutter because you were or were not doing something.

2. Genetics plays a big role! The genes of people who persistently stutter might result in

• More internal (neurological) difficulty managing the rhythm of speech.

Said another way, the brains of people who stutter might be less accurate and slower at sending internal timing signals to the muscles involved in speaking (like our tongue, lips, etc.), resulting in interruptions in their rhythm of speech.

3. A bucket analogy shows that many factors can contribute to a person stuttering. If a person has only a few "risk factors" their bucket might not be filled so they won't stutter, whereas someone else's unique combination of factors results in stuttering. (See image below.)

Looking for clarification, or for a more in-depth explanation? Reach out to Mrs. K!

Websites

• https://stutteringtherapyresources.com/pages/practical-tips-videos-just-for-parents

• https://www.stutteringhelp.org/

• https://www.isastutter.org/CDRomProject/parent/parent_main.html

• https://westutter.org/about-the-nsa/free-printables-brochures/

Looking for clarification, or for a more in-depth explanation? Reach out to Mrs. K!