Fluency
What is stuttering?
It is a complex interaction
between the child’s inherent abilities and his/her internal/external
environment.
There is a lot of new research
out there about stuttering and with the age of technology, some information can
be overwhelming and some information may be incorrect. New research shows that
stuttering does not have an adverse affect on one’s life if it is left
untreated. Research has also shown a
link between stuttering and language, stuttering and pragmatics (social use of
language), stuttering and phonology (speech sound patterns), and stuttering and
language complexity; however there is no consensus on the exact effects
stuttering has on these areas. Additionally, research has concluded that the
onset of developmental stuttering is usually observed at the same time of their
child’s language spurt. Children who
stutter might experience increased anxiety levels and decreased self-esteem. Some
physicians might tell you that stuttering is of no concern and that your child will “grow out of it”. A
speech/language referral is the first step to take to help your child.
In every day speech, we all
display many types of disfluencies. These disfluencies are considered ‘normal’
because they are heard in normally fluent speakers as well as those who
stutter. They are:
1. Whole
word repetitions
2. Phrase
repetitions
3. Interjections
4. Revisions
9 Types of Disfluencies:
1. Sound
repetitions ( i-i-it was me)
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2. Syllable
repetitions ( Bi-bi-bicycle)
3. Whole
word repetitions ( I-I-I want to go too)
4. Phrase
repetitions ( I don't I don't I don't like it)
5. Interjections
(um, like, uh)
6. Prolongations (W-------------e will play later)
7. Blocks (Mmmmmmmmore please)
8. Incomplete
phrases/revisions "I want mi-mi-mi" (milk), "I want water"
9. Broken
words
Types of stuttering:
1. Developmental-onset
between 2-5 years of age
2. Neurogenic
stuttering associated with acquired neurogenic disorder (e.g. stroke, head
trauma)
3. Psychogenic
stuttering- may occur in people with mental illness or who have experienced
mental stress. It is very rare
4. Cluttering-fluency
disorder that is not stuttering
Fast Facts:
·
More males than females
·
About 1% of the population stutters
·
A large genetic component
Treatment:
An in-depth speech and language
evaluation should be conducted. The evaluation is comprised of an interview,
assessment, counseling, case history, and audio and video recording. After the
evaluation, there are 4 possible situations:
1. The child is fine, no stuttering behaviors, no at risk behaviors
2. We aren't quite sure, not totally concerned, but more red flags than in situation one.
3. The child is at risk. They aren't actually stuttering yet, but there are red flags, family history, and disfluencies
4. The child stutters
Treatment goals would include:
- Reducing/eliminating the disfluencies
- Master modification skills so the child can say what they want, when they want to say it, at any time, any place, and with any listener
- Teaching self-evaluation skills
- Teaching modification skills
- Teaching self-correction skills
- Building in generalization tasks
According to Bloodstein (1949),
stuttering is reduced or eliminated when speaking:
1. Alone
2. In
unison with another speaker
3. To
an animal
4. To
an infant
5. In
time to a rhythmic stimulus
6. When
relaxed
7. In
a different dialect
8. While
simultaneously writing
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If you have a concern about a
child in your life who is stuttering, contact a speech-language pathologist in
your area.
Additional resources can be found
at:
The American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association http://www.asha.org
The National Stuttering
Association
The Stuttering Foundation of
America http://www.stutteringhelp.org
