What is Stammering?
Stammering is usually perceived as being a speech disorder. Stammering is actually an extremely complex condition involving much more than repetitions of sounds, prolongations of syllables and other "disfluencies". Stammering affects the person as a whole and can more adequately be described as a combination of speech, communication and behavioural disorders.
Stammering is often compared to an iceberg and speech disorders only represent the tip of the stammering iceberg.
The bulk of the stammering iceberg lies below the surface and represents the communication and behavioural disorders. A whole set of unusual communication patterns and behaviours work hand in hand with the speech "disfluencies" that non-stammerers inevitably notice:
· Stammerers tend to avoid eye contact with their listeners. They prob
ably do so because they don’t want to see their listener’s reaction to their stammering.
· Stammerers often have irregular breathing patterns and try to speak with little or no air in their lungs. Some stammerers even try to speak while inhaling.
·
Some stammerers avoid or try to avoid stammering by resorting to word substitution: If they feel they will stammer on a particular word, they will replace it with another word with a similar
meaning. Some stammerers are so successful in using this technique that nobody, not even their spouse, knows that they stammer.
· Stammerers often resort to the use of useless words such as “you know”, “let’s see” etc. They feel that these junk words will give them a running start that will help them successfully rush through a feared word.
· Stammerers tend to react to stress by tightening the muscles of their vocal cords. This probably explains why stammering often becomes worse when under s
tress.
· Many stammerers avoid stammering by avoiding speaking altogether.
In addition to these unusual communication patterns and behaviours, many stammerers also have negative feelings and perceptions about their stammering and about themselves:
· Shame: stammerers are often ashamed of their stammering and o
ften go to great length to try to hide it.
·
Guilt: stammerers often feel guilty about not being able to achieve what they think they would be able to achieve if only they could speak fluently.
· Frustration: stammerers often feel frustrated by their inability to communicate effectively with other people.
· Lowered self-esteem: stammering often induces a feeling of worthlessness.
All these hi
dden elements of the stammering phenomenon tend to reinforce the speech disorders and a speech therapy focusing only on the speech mechanism is bound to fail. Only a holistic and comprehensive stammering therapy addressing each and every aspect o
f the phenomenon can succeed in totally eliminating stammering from your life. This is something you should keep in mind when choosing a therapy for stammering.
It is generally estimated that 20% of children will stammer at one point or another. Most children outgrow their stammering and become perfectly fluent speakers.
Stammering is however, chronic in 1% of young children. If your child shows signs of disfluencies that last for more than a month, you should seek the advice of a speec
h-language therapist. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to successfully eliminate stammering.
It is important to avoid making the child more aware of the stammering than he/she already is, and the advice of a speech-language therapist should be sought first, without the child. The speech-language therapist will then want to meet with the child for a direct assessment of any speech disorders. This will be handled in an informal manner to avoid any anxiety in the child.
The therapy itself is usually not carried out directly by the speech-language th
erapist but rather by the parents. Slight changes in the way the parents speak and behave with the child can increase the child's confidence and the ability to speak fluently. The speech-language therapist will discuss methods that can be done to achieve this.
Comprehensive Stuttering Therapy (Phillip J. Roberts) explains in details how parents can positively influence the speech of their child and we recommend that you read this book before meeting with the speech-language therapist. This book also provides in-depth information about stammering and this can help you understand the needs of your child.
Tips
It is not your fault that your child stammers. You can however, greatly help diminish and/or eliminate the stammering by slightly altering the way you speak and communicate with your child and by enhancing the child’s self confidence.
1 - Conspiracy of silence should be avoided. When a child stammers, parents and other family members are often so embarrassed that they pretend that the stammering did not really happen. The child feels helpless and alone with the stammering and this only makes matters worse. You should therefore try to speak with the child about the stammering. Make sure you don't show your anxiety. You should discuss stammering in a casual and matter-of-fact way to avoid making the child self-conscious.
2 - Whe
n talking with the child, avoid using words such as 'stuttering' or 'stammering', 'SLP' or 'speech-language pathologist'. A child doesn't understand the meaning of these words and will perceive them as frightening. This will unnecessarily increase the child’s awareness of the speech disorder. Instead, you should use words that are part of the child’s vocabulary. For example, refer to 'stuck words'.
3 - Don't tell the child to "speak slowly", to "take it easy" or to "take a deep breath". If you do this, the child will lose confidence in his/her ability to speak and this will increase the stammering. You should instead speak slowly in an unhurried way. Children tend to mimic their parents and will speak more slowly as you slow your own speech down. Use short sentences that a child can easily understand.
4 - If your child asks you a question, pause for a few seconds before answering. Again, the child wi
ll mimic you and take his/her time when speaking.
5 - When the child speaks to you, make sure you look at the child and give the child your full attention. Stammering usually increases when the child has the impression that the listener is not listening. Use facial expressions to show your child that you are listening and that the child is getting his/her message across.
6 - Mai
ntain eye contact with the child, even while he/she is stammering.
7 - Be patient with your child. Don't show that you are upset or worried by the stammering. Show the child that you accept him/her just the way he/she is.
8 - Do not interrupt the child when speaking. A child is more relaxed and less likely to stammer if it is known that he/she won't be interrupted. Make sure that all family members take turns speaking.
9 - A child doesn't like being pressured with questions and this is especially true with children who stammer. Avoid asking the child questions and let the child speak about what he/she wants to talk about.
10 -
Praise your child each time something is done well. This will increase the child’s confidence.
What is stuttering?
Stammering and stuttering both mean exactly the same thing. The word stammering is commonly used in the British Isles while the word stuttering is preferred in North America,
Strange Facts about Stammering
Statistics
1% of the adult population stammers. Men account for 80% of all adult stammerers.
Closet stammerers
Stammerers o
ften resort to word replacement in order to avoid stammering. When a stammerer feels he will stammer on a particular word, he often tries to find an alternative word with a similar meaning. Some stammerers are so successful in using this technique that no one, not even their spouse, knows that they are stammerers. Stammerers who successfully manage to hide their stammering by using word replacements are called 'closet stammerers'. Although they do
n't actually stammer, these 'closet stammerers'
nevertheless suffer greatly from their speech disorder. Scanning ahead for feared words is stressful and the replacement word is usually not as adequate of a choice as the stammerer originally intended. Closet stammerers often order a pizza when they want to eat a burger or compromise their opinions.
Reaction to stress
We all react to stress in different ways but nearly all stammerers have one thing in common when it comes to reacting to stress: they tighten the muscles of their vocal cords. This explains why s
tammering becomes worse when a stammerer is under pressure.
Changing name
Stammerers often have extreme difficulties saying their own names. This is extremely embarrassing and some stammerers have even resorted to having their names changed to a name they can easily say. Once the name has been legally changed, the stammerer often finds out that he/she can now say the old name with ease but severely blocks on the new name.
Singing, sp
eaking in unison, whispering...
Stammerers usually don't stammer when they sing, speak in unison, whisper, talk to a pet or speak to a small child.
Famous Stammerers
Did you kno
w that during
If you stammer
, you are definitely in very good company and you shouldn't let stammering stop you from leading a successful life. Here are a few famous stammerers:
Aristotle
Robert Boyle
Lewis Carrol
King Charles I
Charles Darwin
Demosthenes
Scatman John
King Louis II
Moses
Marylin Monroe
Emperor Napoleon the First
Isaac
Theodore Roosevelt
Virgil
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a cure for stammering?
Stammering is not a disease caused by a virus or bacteria. Stammering is a condition and as such cannot
be 'cured'. The fact that stammering cannot be cured doesn't mean that nothing can be done about it. Speech therapy can greatly improve your fluency and in many cases virtually eli
minate stammering. Look at the stammering therapies we selected for you.
What is a PWS?
PWS is an acronym meaning Person Who Stutters or Person Who Stammers. Many stammerers feel comfortable with the terms stammerer and stammering or their American English equivalents stutterer and stuttering but others prefer the politically correct term PWS.
What causes stammering?
There is no clear scientific explanation regarding the causes of stammering. Stammering is probably a combination of genetic, physical and psychological factors:
- Stammering tends to run in families and you are twice as likely to stammer if one of your parents stammers.
- Stammering seems to be partly due to the unique way stammerers physically react to stress by tensing the muscles of their larynx whereas non-stammerers usually react to stress by tensing some other muscles.
- Stammering induces negative feelings such as shame, guilt, lowered confidence and self-esteem. These negative feelings in turn tend to make stammering worse.
Do stammerers have a lower IQ?
On average, stammerers have the same IQ as non-stammerers. Stammerers are sometimes wrongly perceived as being less intelligent than non-stammerers. This is mainly due to the fact that stammerers often resort to word substitution: when a stammerer feels he will block on a specific word, he often uses an alternative word. The alternative word is often less appropriate and in some cases not appropriate at all. The listener might get the false impression that the stammerer suffers from mental confusion.
S
tammering Therapies
Information about the best therapies presently available to stammerers can be found on this page. Stammering can basically be treated with four different therapeutic approaches:
Stammering Self-Therapy
Electronic devices
Speech Language Pathologist
Speech Clinics
There are two things you should consider when choosing a stammering therapy:
1. Stammering cannot be eliminated overnight. If you have been living with stammering for
years or even decades it won’t go away that easily. Whatever therapy you choose, it will probably take several weeks or months before stammering can be effectively controlled. Claims that you can “cure” stammering in a few days should be looked at with extreme caution.
2. Stammering is not only a speech disorder but also a communication and behavioural disorder. Stammering can be compared to an iceberg and the speech disorder only represents the tip of the stammering iceberg. The bulk of the iceberg is made of the communication and behavioural disorders as well as all the negative feelings such as shame, guilt, embarrassment etc. A therapy that exclusively focuses on the speech disorder is bound to fail over the long run. An effective therapy should
be based on a holistic approach and should address every aspect of stammering: the speech disorder (the "disfluencies") as well as the communication and behavioural disorders and negative feelings associated with stammering. See What is Stammering? for more information.
Self-therapy is an affordable and effective way to treat stammering and this is definitely where you should start.
To get started, all you need to do is invest a few pounds and commit yourself to spending 30 minu
tes to one hour a day doing simple exercises. You will probably notice significant improvements in your fluency within a few weeks and should be able to eliminate stammering within a few months.
We have chosen two self-therapy stammering programs for you:
Comprehensive Stuttering Therapy (Phillip J. Roberts):
Comprehensive Stuttering Therapy is probably the most comprehensive and most effective self-therapy presently available to stammerers. It includes 29 exercises addressing every single element of the stammering phenomenon: the “disfluencies” as well as the negative feelings and behaviours associated with stammering. By going t
hrough these exercises, the stammerer will gradually improve his fluency and alter the destructive feelings and behaviours that promote stammering. The end result is a self sustainable fluency lasting for a lifetime. Click here to access Phillip J. Robert's web site.
Understanding & Controlling Stuttering (William D. Parry)
Understanding & Controlling Stuttering is another excellent self-therapy program. William Parry developed a new theory to explain stammering. According to his theory, stammering results from a neurological confusion between the voice and the Valsalva mechanism (a set of muscles that we tighten when exerting effor
t). The book then suggests a technique that eliminates stammering by controlling the Valsalva mechanism. Click here to access William D. Parry's web site.
It is very likely that self-therapy is all you will need to achieve fluency. If you still stammer after trying self-therapy, you can then consider other therapeutic options. In any case, reading these books will provide you with in-depth knowledge about stammering, and this knowledge will be extremely useful when visiting a speech-language pathologist or attending an intensive stammering program in a speech clinic.
If one of your relatives stammers, we strongly recommend that you read these books. Many stammerers feel that they are left alone to struggle helplessly with stammering. They wish they could talk about it with their friends or relatives but they feel so embarrassed by their dis
fluencies that it is difficult for them to take the first step. These books provide valuable information about stammering and will help you understand the feelings and frustrations experienced by stammerers. After reading these books, it will be easier for you to take the initiative and talk about stammering with your relatives. You will then be able to provide the support the stammerer needs and suggest a therapy to follow.
If your young child stammers, you will definitely find these books useful as they will help you to understand stammering as well as your child's inner feelings. Besides, Comprehensive Stuttering Therapy (Phillip J. Roberts) explains in details what parents can do to help their child become fluent.
Electronic devices
Fluency enhancing devices are based on DAF (Delayed Auditory Feedback) and FAF (Frequency-Shifting Auditory Feedback). The electronic device picks up your voice from a microp
hone, delays the sound for a fraction of a second (in the case of DAF) or shifts the frequency (in the case of FAF) and feeds your voice back through earphones.
DAF and FAF can instantly reduce and in most cases eliminate stammering with minimal efforts from your side. But you should keep in mind that DAF and FAF should ideally be used in combination with a comprehensive stammering self-therapy or visits to a speech pathologist. As explained earlier, stammering is a communication and behavioural problem and you will need to change your communication patterns, your attitudes and your way of life. You will also need to learn fluency enhancing techniques and to synchronize breathing with your speech.
DAF and FAF are not a substitute to a holistic approach to stammering but can certainly help you to successfully follow a comprehensive stammering therapy. DAF and FAF will help you slow down. You will therefore be more in control of your speech and it will be easier for you to put the fluency techniques that you learned from the self-therapy or from the speech pathologist into practice. After a while, you should be able to speak fluently without the help of electronic devices.
DAF and FAF devices can be ordered from Casa Futura Technologies.
Speech Language Pathologist:
Another way to treat stammering is to visit a speech-language pathologist. Visiting a SLP is costly both in terms of time and money and you will probably want to spend some time reading about stammering before your first visit. This will help you define your goals and make your discussions with the SLP more fruitful. We recommend that you read about the two self- help stammering therapies described above.
During your first visit to the speech-language pathologist, you should make sure that the person is experienced and comfortable in treating stammering and that a holistic approach will be used.
Several speech clinics provide intensive therapy programs for stammering. Click here to access our list of speech clinics. Please note that we do not endorse any particular organisation and this list is only provided to help you locate a speech clinic. We recommend that you keep in mind the guidelines given earlier about selecting a speech clinic: 1) Stammering cannot be eliminated overnight; this means that an intensive therapy program for stammering should be followed-up by a therapy of some sort. 2) Only a holistic approach can effectively reduce and eliminate stammering and you should make sure the speech clinic provides a comprehensive therapy addressing every aspect of the stammering phenomenon.
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