Stuttering/ Fluency Disorder

What is stuttering?

Stuttering is a speech disorder where you repeat sounds, syllables, or entire words. You know what you want to say but have difficulty producing smooth, fluid speech. 

People who stutter might make prolonged sounds or have speech interruptions. In addition to an irregular flow of speech, they might exhibit physical symptoms like eye blinks and lip tremors.

Stuttering affects communication and can negatively influence relationships, academic achievement, and self-confidence. Many people find their stutter makes them highly self-conscious, and children may be subject to teasing or bullying.

Why do I have a stutter?

Research hasn’t identified everything that contributes to fluency development. However, the condition does have two main types: developmental and neurogenic. 

Developmental stuttering

Developmental stuttering affects children while their speech and language skills are still emerging. One possibility is that children stutter because their communication skills don’t match their cognitive skills. 

Neurogenic stuttering

Neurogenic stuttering develops in some people after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke. You might have difficulty speaking clearly or fluently if the injury damages the area of your brain that coordinates speech. 

When should I see a speech-language pathologist about stuttering?

The sooner someone gets a diagnosis and begins speech therapy, the better. If your child starts stuttering after the age of 3, the stuttering persists for more than six months, or if it gets more frequent or pronounced, your child could require speech therapy.

However, it’s never too late to get help. Honeycomb Speech Services offers speech-language therapy for anyone whose stuttering causes distress or who avoids speaking because of it.

What treatments help with stuttering?

To ensure they understand the patient’s needs, Honeycomb Speech Services therapists complete a thorough fluency and/or speech and language skills assessment before creating a personalized treatment program to tackle a fluency disorder. 

Many children respond well to practicing sounds and typically stutter less when singing, speaking in unison, or reading aloud. Therefore, your speech therapist could include these activities in your child’s treatment program. 

Speech therapy might also involve learning strategies, including:

• Breathing regulation
• Speaking slowly
• Practicing words and phrases with multiple syllables

Using these and many other techniques, you or your child develop confidence while speaking more freely.

Call Honeycomb Speech Services to discuss getting help with stuttering or schedule an appointment online today.