What does “developmental stuttering” mean?
Developmental stuttering is a term used by speech-language pathologists to describe a specific type of stuttering. In general, speech disorders are categorized by whether they emerged as a part of the individual’s development (prior to adulthood), or whether they were acquired later in life.
If a person begins stuttering in childhood, they are considered to have a developmental stutter. Most people who stutter will fall into this category!
However, if a person can attribute their stuttering to a specific event (such as a traumatic event, or a head injury), their stuttering is considered to be an acquired disorder.
People who begin to stutter after speaking fluently for their entire life should consult their family doctors. Some neurological conditions can cause an acquired stutter, and an assessment to rule these conditions out may be needed.
Samuel L. Jackson is a Black actor who stutters. He reports that he was able to overcome it through acting.
As airflow is the foundation of speech, when the airflow is obstructed due to tension and uncontrolled closing of oral muscles, the sound produced is compromised.
Craig Skistimas, also known as Stuttering Craig, the co-founder of ScrewAttack which is a production company for video games.
The adored pig from Looney Tunes, Porky Pig, has a stutter. It has been found that he stutters 23% of his spoken words and uses a wide variety of stuttering types.
Stuttering affects around 70 million people worldwide, so yes of course there is going to be a comedian who stutters.
The National Stuttering Association (https://westutter.org/) is a good website to find news about stuttering. The ‘Stuttering Foundation’ is another website that provides the most up to date news (https://www.stutteringhelp.org)
News reporter John Stossel is a news reporter who stuttered. News reporter and journalist Byron Pitts also stutter.
There are two general philosophies of stuttering treatment: Fluency shaping, and Stuttering acceptance
When an individual stutters, the voice may change as there is additional tension on the vocal folds and on the musculature surrounding it.