Stuttering, also referred to as stammering, is characterized by repetitions of repetitions of words, sounds, syllables or phrases, involuntary hesitation and long silences where a person is unable to force any further words out at all. Those with a stutter (or stammer) often don’t make sound for certain syllables. Sometimes those who stutter are unable to speak flowingly due to stress.

Stuttering is a common occurrence when a child is learning to speak. However, in the majority of cases, stuttering in the initial stages does not become a problem. But in some cases, it becomes difficult to stop stuttering and some kind of professional help is required such as stuttering therapy. It is pertinent to note that parents respond a child’s stuttering in a positive way without putting too much stress on the child by repeatedly drawing attention to the disorder when they are trying to speak.

Causes

It is still being investigated what actually causes stuttering. There is reason to believe that stuttering seems to be genetic to an extent but it’s not clear what that extent is. According to one estimate nearly half of the stuttering children have a close family member who also stutters. In some cases it has been found that stuttering is also caused by Neurogenic disorders such as stroke or traumatic brain injuries.

Symptoms

Main symptoms of stuttering are frequent repetition of sounds, syllables, or words, hesitancy in starting sentences or phrases, Interjection, prolonged pauses while speaking and very long sounds within words. These symptoms are often accompanied by rapid eye blinking, involuntary movements of the head and trembling of the lips and jaw jerking.

Exams and Tests

Usually diagnosed by a speech-language pathologist, stuttering generally does not require any testing. The speech-language pathologist takes into account the history of the disorder and determines whether a fluency disorder exists in the case. The speech-language pathologist may condut some other assessments, including language skills and speech rate.

Treatment

A right diagnosis is essential because this will determine the nature of treatment. There are a number of treatments available for stuttering. These treatments can stand in good stead in improving stuttering to some extent, but presently there is no known cure for stuttering. Here stuttering therapy come to the rescue of the sufferer. Stuttering therapy definitely has the ability to stop developmental stuttering from becoming a long term problem. It is in the interests of the sufferers that a speech evaluation is something of an absolute must for them.

Research has shown that drug therapy has not been so helpful in treating for stuttering. The way that parents respond to a child’s stuttering is very significant. The parents should ensure that the child is given a relaxed environment that offers sufficient opportunities for the child to speak. The parents should give a patient listening to the child, showing love and affection. They should never interrupt when the child is communicating verbally. The symptoms of stuttering tend to become less acute if the children find themselves in a relaxed ambience. Prevention for stuttering is still not known.

The article above is part of our website blog and does not represent opinion or advice of Marissa A Barrera and other staff members.