Stop Stuttering

Stuttering is a speech disorder where the individual's natural flow of speech is disrupted prolongations or repetitions of certain sounds, syllables and words. There are times; this makes it impossible to even start a word.

Other than the difficulty in speaking, this is usually accompanied by tremors of the lips or jaw, raid eye blinks, and tremors in the upper body. Stress worsens the situation when he or she has to speak to a big crowd or even talk on the phone. When one is relaxed, this dissipates when one is singing or speaking alone.

This disorder can also be known as stammering. It should also be pointed out that this is different from the two other speech disorders namely spasmodic dysphonia and cluttering.

Based on studies, there are 3 million Americans that stutter. This starts at the early age of 2 to 6 since this is the time that they are still developing language skills. The ratio between boys and girls is 3 to 1. The redeeming news is that many children outgrow this and only a small percentage of those who suffer are adults.

Some of the best speakers in the world that we have today suffered from stuttering when they were younger. These personalities include Bruce Willis, James Earl Jones, Mel Tillis and Carly Simon. Who would have thought they overcame this challenge? The facts can attest to the veracity of this claim.

But what really causes stuttering? Some scientists believe that it's genetics because it's developmental. Some argue that it is neurogenic which means that signal problems between the brain and the nerves causes this to happen. Thus, the brain is not able to coordinate properly the different components of speech. It can also happen if the person suffered from a stroke or other form of brain injury.

Stuttering may be psychogenic, meaning it originates in the mind but this only accounts for a small number of sufferers.

The best person to diagnose if you have a speech disorder such as stuttering is with the help of a certified and licensed speech language pathologist. This person is trained to conduct diagnostic tests that will determine the appropriate treatment or therapy.

Currently, there is no available cure for stuttering. Given that the majority of those who stutter are behavioral, treatment can only improve the person's condition.

The program is created to teach the patients to monitor the rate at which they speak. They will also learn to say words in a slower pace. They will usually start with short phrases first until such time that they can speak much faster and in longer sentences. Follow up sessions are needed to prevent relapse making this a life long problem. This will also help in reinforcing the drills and therapies learned in the clinic so that they can use them in the outside world where they are expected to interact.

Other than the patient, the parents are empowered by educating them of their children's situation so they will know what to do when their child stutters. A relaxed home environment is the best suitable place that will allow the child to speak. If the child should stutter, they should refrain from criticizing as this has negative effects. Parents should give all the necessary moral support their child's needs. Parents can also help by speaking slowly and in a relaxed manner as this will also be imbibed by their child.

Some doctors have utilized electronic devices and medications to treat stuttering. Unfortunately, the use of drugs often causes side effects to the child. Relying on a machine is not even a convenient and accessible option especially when the child has to move around.