Stuttering is more than just fluency. Stuttering can also involve tension and negative emotions related to speech. It can interfere with the way you talk to others. The person may want to hide their stuttering. Therefore, he may avoid certain words or situations. The person may not want to talk on the phone to avoid stuttering. The severity of stuttering can vary from day to day. Some days you may stutter more, some days less. Stress and excitement can increase stuttering.
What is Stuttering?
Stuttering is a speech disorder. The fluency of speech is impaired. The person who stutters knows what he wants to say, but has difficulty saying it. They get stuck on words and syllables while speaking and repeat and lengthen the word or syllable. Or they may pause during speech when they reach a problematic word or sound.
Stuttering often begins in childhood. However, it can become a chronic condition that sometimes extends into adulthood. If stuttering persists into adulthood, it can have a negative impact on one's self-esteem and communication with other people. Stuttering can also negatively affect job performance and opportunities, and treatment can result in a high financial cost.
Stuttering occurs most frequently in children between the ages of 2 and 6 during language development. In general, 5-10% of children may experience short or long-term stuttering at some point in their lives. Boys are 2 to 3 times more likely to stutter than girls, and this gender gap increases as they get older; The number of boys who continue to stutter is three to four times the number of girls. About 75 percent of children recover from stuttering. For the remaining 25 percent who continue to stutter, stuttering may continue as a lifelong communication disorder.
How Normal Speech Occurs
Speech sounds, breathing, phonation (sound production) ) and articulation (movement of the throat, palate, tongue, and lips) as a result of a series of precisely coordinated muscle movements. Muscle movements are controlled by the brain. Hearing accompanies speech.
What Causes Stuttering?
The causes of stuttering are not known exactly. Stuttering is generally classified as neurological and developmental:
- Developmental l stuttering: Developmental stuttering occurs at the beginning of language development in young children when they are just starting to speak. It is the most common form of stuttering. It is thought that developmental stuttering is fed by many factors. Brain imaging studies have shown consistent marked differences in stutterers compared to their non-stuttering peers. Developmental stuttering can occur in other people in the same family, studies show that genetic factors cause stuttering to occur.
- Neurological stuttering: Neurogenic stuttering, stroke, head trauma or brain injuries that impair brain functions may occur after such events. In brain injuries, the brain cannot coordinate active areas on speech.
- Psychogenic stuttering: It may develop after emotional trauma. Traumas such as sudden death of relatives or sexual abuse, especially in children, can initiate stuttering.
What are the Symptoms of Stuttering?
Symptoms of stuttering can be:
- Difficulty starting a word or sentence
- Prolonging a word or sounds within a word
- Short silence when trying to say some syllables and words while speaking
- A adding extra words such as "mmm" if difficulty is expected to move on to the next word
- Excessive tension of the face and body while producing words
- Don't worry about speaking
- Inability to communicate effectively with others
- Rapid blinking when speaking
- Twitter of lips and chin when speaking
- Facial tics when speaking
- Clenching fists while speaking
What are the Risk Factors for Stuttering?
- Stuttering is more common in men than women.
- Developmental delays in childhood facilitate the emergence of stuttering .
- The probability of a child stuttering increases if there are other members of the family who stutter.
- Stress in the family , family's high expectations, and other types of pressure can initiate and worsen stuttering.
What Are the Complications of Stuttering?
- Difficulty communicating with others
- Anxiety and worry when speaking
- Not speaking and avoiding speaking
- Failure in school, work and social life
- Being ridiculed, being bullied
- Self-confidence
How to Diagnose and Treat Stuttering?
The biggest question in the minds of people who stutter in their child or themselves is “Stuttering How does it go?” is the question. Stuttering is often noticed by parents and teachers. After the evaluation of a pediatrician and a child psychiatrist, he is referred to a speech therapist.
Treatment methods for stuttering: There are different approaches for the treatment of children and adults who stutter. Usually, the treatment method is determined individually. A method of therapy that is beneficial for one person may not be effective for another.
Even if the treatment does not eliminate all stuttering, speech fluency can develop, the person can communicate effectively and be successful in school, work and social activities.
Early treatment can prevent stuttering from becoming a lifelong problem. With the methods used, it is aimed to ensure the fluency of speech in children and to make the child open to communication. Doctors usually recommend that a child be evaluated if they have been stuttering for 3 to 6 months, exhibit stuttering-related struggling behaviors, or have a family history of stuttering or related communication disorders. In general, clinicians recommend evaluating the child every 3-4 months to measure success in stuttering therapy. The main treatment methods used in the treatment of stuttering are:
- Speech therapy: With this treatment, it is aimed to slow down the speech and realize that the person stutters. With therapy, speech that is very slow at first can turn into a more fluent and natural form later on.
- Electronic devices: Various electronic devices are available to increase speech fluency. The therapist determines the electronic device to be chosen.
- Cognitive therapy: It aims to solve the stress, anxiety and self-confidence problems caused by stuttering. Defends. At the same time, it tries to change the way of thinking that makes stuttering worse.
- Parent-child relationship: Parents are educated about the behavior of the stuttering child. In the treatment of stuttering, the effect of the person's close environment is great.
- Drug therapy: There is no approved drug for the treatment of stuttering. However, some drugs used in the treatment of epilepsy, depression and anxiety are being tried. These drugs have many side effects in long use.
How Should the Family of a Child Who Stutter Be Treated?
If children stutter:
- Provide the necessary home environment for your child to speak freely. If the child is excited and wants to talk a lot, take time for him.
- Listen carefully when the child is talking, do not interrupt him.
- Do not rush when talking to the child, do not create time pressure on the child.
- Do not be impatient and complete the child's words. Give your child the feeling that you have enough time to listen to him/her.
- Tell the child that his/her condition is livable and that the problems can be fixed.
- Children with stuttering problems experience stress and anxiety, try to relax them as much as you can.
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