Written by: Anna Pasternak / Stuttering/Stammering / August 19, 2020 / 5 minutes read

Often people mistake stuttering for typical dysfluencies. We all have dysfluencies at one point or another and should not be confused with stuttering. Typical dysfluencies experienced by most people  as presented by ASHA (https://www.asha.org/stuttering/) include: 

• Interjections (filler words)- “I ummm went to the store”

• Repeating whole words “More more ice please’

• Repeating phrases- “ I think I think I’m going to go to bed”. 

• Revision ( changing the word) – “ I think--- I have the right one”. 

• Not finishing thought- “ Last week I saw the movie…….”.

Stuttering on the other hand is caused by the interruption of airflow and tension of the throat and articulators during speech. There are three types of stuttering moments that can occur: Repetitions – where the sound/syllable is repeated (i.e. r-r-r- red). Blocks- this type of dysfluency is when a word cannot be uttered in that moment (i.e.---pause------red), there may be a long pause of silence before the person is able to begin. Another type of dysfluency is prolongations – when the first sound is held for a longer period of time than the rest of the word (i.e. ssssssad).  Stuttering may also cause repetitive eye-blinking, facial grimaces, or head nodding, which is sometimes developed to help minimize moments of stuttering.       

Though there is still a lot of research being done on stuttering it can have various causes.  Neurological damage such as traumatic brain injury can cause a stutter. Various medications have been found to have side effects that cause stuttering such as: antidepressants and antipsychotics. Stuttering can also be caused by a traumatic event that happened in someone’s life. The age of person when they began to stutter is important as children who begin to stutter past the age of 3.5 years are more likely to continue stuttering, then children who stutter a little earlier on in life. Boys have also been found to be more likely to stutter then girls. Recently family history of stuttering has been found to be an important factor to predict if a child that is stuttering will continue to stutter, as stuttering has been linked to a genetic component. If a child has a family member (i.e. parent, uncle) who stutters and the person still stutters the child will be more likely to continue stuttering throughout their life.    

A stutter is diagnosed by an SLP assessment looking at the types of dysfluencies the person is presenting, how often these dysfluencies occur, at what moments does the person stutter most (conversation, reading, single words), and how does the person react to their stuttering. 

 As stuttering cannot be eliminated especially when seeking help as an adult it can definitely be eased to improve the persons communication and lessen their stutter. Stuttering is treated by a speech language pathologist and often psychologist especially for those who developed a stutter due to traumatic events. A SLP will work on the behavioural side of things as well as help ease tension and speak more clearly through various stuttering strategies. The SLP also discusses and helps the person face various situations such as certain settings and people that make them anxious and fearful. These techniques help support the person with their communication and improve their quality of life. 

At Well Said we a trained to work with teens and adults who stutter to help ease the difficulties they are having and improve their communication at work, school, or wherever is necessary. We will work closely with you to develop strategies that would be the most beneficial for you depending on the difficulties you are having. If you have a stutter and it is affecting your daily quality of life, give us a call and we will be here to help. 

To speak with one of the speech-language pathologists at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, schedule an initial consultation by clicking the link below or calling (647) 795-5277.