Stuttering
The research has shown that abnormal activations are present in silent reading, as opposed tospeaking, which tends to support the idea that stuttering has neural bases.
Researchers are also looking to see if the changes in brain that are triggered by intensive speech therapy have correlation to fluency. This might lead to therapist being able to detect if a patient is likely to relapse after therapy.
Notes to Listeners
When
someone to whom you are talking is having trouble speaking fluently, they
most likely have a stuttering problem. You will probably react appropriately
by instinct, but if you are not sure what to do, you are not alone.
Stuttering is often misunderstood and can cause the listener to feel anxious.
If you keep the following in mind, however, the experience will be a more
comfortable one for you and the person who stutters.
What to Know
1. About one percent of adults and four percent of children stutter.
2. We do not know why people stutter, but apparently it is not a nervous or personality disorder. People who stutter are normal except they lack the ability to varying degrees to get words out fluently. It is known that stuttering runs in families, and research shows neurological components are probably involved in the disorder. Stuttering almost always starts between the ages of two and five. Also, boys are five times more likely than girls to stutter, a gender ratio we see in other developmental disorders.
3. People generally do not stutter when they sing, whisper, speak in chorus, or when they do not hear their own voice. There is no universally accepted explanation for these phenomena.
4. The degree to which people stutter varies widely. Some people who stutter have more natural control over their speech than others do. And the degree of stuttering depends on the particular situation in which they find themselves, the difficulty of the words they must say, and how they feel, in general, at the moment. People who stutter universally report having “good days” and “bad days.”
5. Stuttering may look like an easy problem that can be solved with some simple advice, but for adults it is a chronic, life-long disorder. People who stutter can achieve more control over speech, but total fluency is not a likely, realistic goal for adults.
6. The list of notable people who stutter (past and present) includes: Moses, Aesop, Isaac, Newton, Charles Darwin and his grandfather, physician Erasmus Darwin, Somerset Maugham, Lewis Carroll, Clara Barton, King George VI of England, Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, John Updike, Mel Tillis, Bob Love, James Earl Jones, Bruce Willis, Carly Simon, Bo Jackson, and Annie Glenn.
How to React When Speaking with a Person who Stutters
1. You might be very tempted to finish sentences or fill in words for the person. Unless you know the person well and have his or her permission, please do NOT do this. Your action could be taken as demeaning. And, of course, if you guess the wrong word, the difficulties multiply.
2. Refrain from making remarks like: “Slow down,” “Take a Breath,” or “Relax.” Such simplistic advice can be felt as patronizing and is not constructive.
3. Maintain normal eye contact and try not to look embarrassed or alarmed. Just wait patiently and naturally until the person is finished.
4. Be aware that people who stutter usually have more trouble controlling their speech on the telephone. Saying “Hello,” in particular, often presents a special problem for them. Please be extra patient in this situation.
5. People sometimes ask if they should ask the person questions about his or her stuttering. This is something we must leave to your judgment. But surely, stuttering should not be a taboo subject. If you have a question about it, the person will probably appreciate your interest. It is in your mutual benefit that it be talked about openly.
6. The person’s stuttering sometimes makes it harder to understand what he or she is saying. If you do not understand what is said to you, do not be afraid to say, “I’m sorry, I didn’t understand what you said.” No matter how much of a struggle it was for them to say it, this is preferable to your pretending you understood, or guessing what his or her communication was.
7. Set a relaxed pace when possible, using a moderate rate of speech yourself.
8. In general, let the person know by your manner and actions that you are listening to what he or she is saying and how he or she is saying it. Be yourself. Be a good listener.
Stuttering is something we do; it is not something we are.
Contact the National Stuttering Association for more information.