22 Sep Stuttering DV Therapy
Stuttering
WHAT IS STUTTERING?
Stuttering is a speech disorder characterized by repetition of sounds, syllables, or words. It occurs when an individual has trouble producing a normal flow of speech. Breaks or disruptions during the flow of speech are known as disfluencies. About 8% of children have a period of stuttering during their development, with most recovering completely with or without speech therapy.
MYTHS
▪ People stutter because they are nervous
▪ People who stutter are shy and self-conscious
▪ People who stutter are less intelligent
▪ Stuttering is a psychosocial disorder
▪ Stuttering is caused by emotional trauma
▪ Stuttering is caused by bad parenting
▪ Children who stutter are imitating a parent or relative
CAUSES
Even though the exact cause of stuttering is unknown, there are some factors that may be considered. Stuttering can be caused by factors which include genes, emotions as well as the environment. First, stuttering is something that you may be born with that might run in families. Brain function and structure of individuals who stutter could also differ compared to those who do not stutter. Living with a speaking difficulty can cause tension, and then become more severe. A person may also stutter more if they feel anxious or nervous. Trying to avoid stuttering or having negative experiences may also affect stuttering. Stuttering can also occur when children grow and learn more vocabulary. Children who are misdiagnosed with stuttering, may become self-conscious of their speech. This can cause the child to actually stutter. When there is a failure in communication, the child may have difficulty speaking smoothly, which results in more tension when speaking. When a child’s level of fluency is not the same as their speech output it can also lead to stuttering.
TREATMENT
Stuttering can be treated with speech therapy and has a high success rate in preschool children, often times leading to a full recovery. In school-age children and older, it can teach you how to speak in a new way so your speech fluency and ease of speaking are vastly improved.
Fluency shaping is a type of treatment for stuttering to reduce disfluent speech. The goal of fluency shaping is to help individuals speak fluently.
Stuttering modification involves identifying and adjusting disfluencies when they occur. The SLP would help the patient reduce their physical tension, overcome their fear of speaking, and use tools when stuttering. Stuttering modification includes educating and counseling patients who stutter in order to decrease anxiety when speaking, as well as learning about techniques to help make stuttering moments shorter and less tense.
PARENTS
For younger aged children, it is critical to include parents throughout the intervention process. Parents can speak slower, give the child time to finish their sentence, take turns when speaking with their child, and reduce time pressure in daily activities. Throughout their daily routines, parents should provide consistent discipline and maintain family routines. They should fully listen to their child’s message with eye contact. Parents can have one on one time with their child for 5 minutes a day to practice slow speaking and listening, without any interruptions from other family members. Famous people who stutter: US President Joe Biden, King George VI, Emily Blunt, Ron Harper, Bo Jackson, Marilyn Monroe
FACTS
▪ There is no actual cause for stuttering
▪ Early Intervention is key
▪ There is no cure for stuttering
▪ Stress and nervousness does not cause stuttering
▪ Stuttering is more common in males than females