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Speech Problems: Stuttering Treatments & Causes

Nov 25, 2009 Writing and Speaking

Speech disorders abound worldwide and yet one of the most common and least understood of those disorders, stuttering, remains largely a mystery today. In spite of the fact that stuttering can be traced back centuries, it’s root causes have been widely misunderstood and misdiagnosed and it’s cure remains elusive. Stuttering is a speech disorder whereby the pattern of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions, prolongations or even total stoppages of speech. It may also be accompanied by rapid eye blinks or other unusual facial or body movements.

The Stuttering Foundation of America has identified 4 causes of stuttering. There is a strong genetic link to stuttering, so a previous history of it may be in the family’s gene pool. Secondly, stuttering is a developmental speech disorder that begins in early childhood and generally goes away without treatment, but for approximately 1% of the population, stuttering continues into adulthood and may affect them their entire lives. Thirdly, another type of stuttering is Neurogenic stuttering where stuttering occurs when there are signal problems between the brain and the nerves or muscles. Lastly, family expectations can also be attributed to stuttering when too much emphasis is placed on a child’s academic achievements when they do not have the aptitude for it, and consequently the pressure can lead them to develop a stutter.

Older therories suggested psychogenic stuttering occurs when an individual has undergone an extreme emotional or physical trauma and was widely considered to be the cause of most stuttering until recently. It has now been shown that psychogenic stuttering is actually quite rare.

Developmental stuttering is the most common form of stuttering. It occurs when young children are developing their speech and language skills and approx 5% of children will stutter at some point in their childhood, lasting from a few weeks to sometimes years. Boys are twice as likely to have a stammer over girls but only 1% carry it in adulthood.

Perhaps the biggest problem an individual with this disorder faces is not the actual stutter itself but rather the discomfort and anxiety that can accompany it. Stuttering can have a tremendous effect on a person’s functioning and emotional well-being. Stressful situations or certain activities may increase the likelihood of stuttering for some people.

While there is no known cure for stuttering, it can be largely overcome, if not entirely eradicated. There are various methods of treatment including speech therapy, self-therapy, support groups, fluency shaping therapy or even medication that can be employed to treat the condition. Whichever methods an individual chooses to employ, it is important to realize that stuttering need not be a lifelong debilitating burden. With proper treatment and therapy, people who stutter can reduce anxiety, gain confidence in speaking and lead rich, fulfilling lives.

If you have a strong need to stop stuttering you can have a look at the techniques listed on my website. There are many stuttering treatments that you can take to help you deal with the situation.

categories: stuttering,stutter,stammering,stammer,speech impediment,speech disorder,speech problems,phonetics,talking,speech development,communication problems,speaking,psychogenic

Tags: communication problems, phonetics, psychogenic, speaking, speech development, speech disorder, speech impediment, speech problems, stammer, stammering, stutter, stuttering, talking, Writing and Speaking