What Is Stuttering And How Can A Speech Therapist Help?

Stuttering is a disorder that can affect both children and adults.

There are a number of different types and causes of stuttering.

We’re going to go through each type and cause in more detail down below.

But first, rest assured that nearly all types of stuttering can be improved and diminished by attending speech therapy specifically targeted to your particular stutter.

If you’re looking for speech therapy treatments for stuttering contact District Speech to speak with one of our many experienced speech therapists.

Now, let’s dive in.

What Is Stuttering?

Stuttering is a speech disorder also known as stammering or diffluent speech.

It is often characterized by repeated words including sounds or syllables, halting speech production, or uneven rate of speech.

It is also known to affect between 5% and 10% of all children, most often between the ages of 2 and 6.

But, most children do not continue to stutter in adulthood.

It usually stops as your child develops.

Early intervention via speech therapy is especially helpful as a preventative measure to help avoid any stuttering as an adult.

What Are The Symptoms Of Stuttering?

As mentioned above, common symptoms of stuttering include repeated words, sounds, syllables, and disruptions in the normal rate of speech.

An example is that someone might repeat the same consonant like ‘K’ or ‘T’ or have challenges uttering certain sounds.

They could even struggle at the start of each sentence.

More often than not, stuttering causes stress which can manifest in a range of physical and mental challenges include:

• Frustration when trying to communicate
• Refusing to speak
• Frequent interjections of extra sounds or words like ‘um’ or ‘uh’
• Excessive blinking and visible tension in the face or upper body
• Physical changes like facial tics or lip tremors
• Rearranging words in a sentence
• Noticeable vocal tension

It’s important to note that some children may not be aware that they stutter.

Also, because stuttering is often associated with stress, high-stress environments can increase the chances of someone stuttering.

Public speaking can be exceptionally challenging for those who stutter.

Are There Different Types Of Stuttering?

There are three different types of stuttering, and each has a slightly different cause.

1. Neurogenic Stuttering

Neurogenic stuttering is when there are signal abnormalities between the brain and the nerves or muscles that contribute to speech.

This can occur as a result of a brain injury.

A stroke is a common example that can cause this type of stuttering.

2. Developmental Stuttering

Developmental stuttering usually occurs in children under 5 and manifests as they develop their speech and language abilities.

Typically, it is resolved without any treatment.

3. Psychogenic Stuttering

Psychogenic stuttering originates in the part of the brain that is responsible for your thinking and reasoning.

For this reason, it is typically triggered by severe emotional stress or trauma.

What Causes Stuttering?

Like we said above, there are specific causes of stuttering depending on the type.

But, there are also some more general possible causes of stuttering that can include:

• A family history of stuttering
• Family dynamics
• Neurophysiology
• Development during childhood

Stuttering can run in a family because of an inherited abnormality in the part of the brain that is responsible for language.

In this case, it’s just straight genetics that pass it along.

How Can A Speech Therapist Help With Stuttering?

Speech therapists can be a big help when it comes to stuttering in childhood.

They do this through speech therapy for kids which can improve your child’s self-esteem and reduce interruptions during speech.

Typically, speech therapy focuses on controlling speech patterns by having your child focus on their breath support, laryngeal tension, and rate of speech.

Speech therapists can also teach parents how to use therapeutic techniques formulated to help raise your child’s self-esteem as they work to overcome their stutter.

Some quick examples of this include listening patiently and setting aside the time to practice speaking with your child.

A speech therapist can also teach you when and how it’s appropriate to correct your child’s stuttering so as to maintain a positive environment pertaining to their stutter.

Keep in mind, there are ideal candidates for speech therapy which include:

• those who have stuttered for three to six months
• those who have pronounced stuttering
• those who struggle with stuttering and experience emotional difficulties because of their stuttering
• those who have a family history of stuttering

With adult speech therapy for stuttering, it tends to be more difficult, as you’ve had more time to develop bad habits around your speech.

Regardless, though, a speech therapist can still help you reduce your stutter so you can communicate more clearly.

Book An Appointment With District Speech

If you or your child fall into any of these categories and you’re looking for speech therapy treatments for stuttering contact District Speech today to get started and schedule an evaluation.

Remember, the earlier you or your child are able to start speech therapy, the greater the chances for success because less time has been spent ingraining old speech pattern habits.

Book an appointment with District Speech today.