Things you need to know about stuttering

Working with adults who have fluency problems, often termed stuttering or stammering is one of the most rewarding aspects of my profession.

Here are some facts to learn more about stuttering.

What is stuttering?

Stuttering describes a moment in which the flow of speech is broken; sounds may be repeated (su-su-such as this), prolonged (ssssssuch as this) or stopped (no sound). Involuntary movements may occur such as the lips tightly closing shut, or the head or facial muscles twitching. Stuttering moments are often accompanied with an emotional response such as excitement and fear.

What causes stuttering?

Basically one factor alone does not cause a stutter. It is thought that a variety of different aspects all play a role. Therefore each person’s situation is unique. Factors may include:

Physiological factors: Family history, motor coordination, body posture.

Linguistic factors: Delayed or advanced language, length and grammatical complexity of sentences.

Psychological factors: Anxiety or depression.

Environmental factors: Linguistic environment such as high pressured situations, role in family or workplace.

What is it like to stutter in adulthood?

Did you know that adults that have stuttering moments are more likely to report social anxiety which may result in social avoidance? Even a very mild stutter which may go undetected creates a sense of being out of control when interacting with others.

Take a moment: Put yourself out of your comfort zone, out of a safe, predictable situation such as when you are with your best friend or spouse. Perhaps you’re standing in front of 200 people expected to make a key note speech off the cuff, or you find yourself in a job interview with hot-shot directors wearing the wrong outfit. Does it make you sweat just thinking about it?

Now add in a childhood stutter which follows you around like a long lingering bad smell. The nervous system does it’s job to protect you from fear, kick starting the ‘fight and flight response’ similar to when I find a white-tail spider in my bed. Heart rate and breathing speeds up, the sweat gland work overtime, and you lose the higher, more intuitive and intelligent cognitive thinking capacity to perform in an effective way… You leave the situation, feeling powerless and ashamed and swear that you’ll retreat back to your safe bubble and never put yourself in that situation again.

That sounds like a sensible solution to you. But how can you move forward in life, to achieve your personal or career aspirations without testing these boundaries? After all, some wise person once said that the biggest successes in life are overcoming what is challenging. Learning to accept and live with a stutter, fully embracing it and tacking it head may give you a new perspective on life that you can share with others in the future.

Does Speech Language Therapy cure stuttering in adults?

Scientific research proves Speech Language Therapy reduces stuttering moments improving quality of life and social interactions. Stuttering therapy is not an easy process, there is no ‘magic-wand’ quick fix, but the process is powerful giving real results.

Take the first step into your empowering journey, and contact us to to arrange a free consultation to if stuttering therapy is right for you.