Stuttering Isn't Actually The Problem
Written by: Megan Smith / Stuttering Therapy / February 03, 2021 / 10 minutes read
A note: some of my clients prefer to be described as a “person who stutters,” and some prefer “stutterer.” As a result, you may notice me switch back and forth during this blog post. Use the term that the people who stutter around you prefer!
Stuttering is (typically) a developmental fluency (or smoothness of speech) disorder. According to The Stuttering Foundation, it affects about 5% people throughout their lives, and up to 1% of the total population at any given moment (See their blog post here for a researcher’s perspective on this data: https://www.stutteringhelp.org/research-incidence-and-prevalence-stuttering).
Speech therapy has made an entire industry out of managing and attempting to cure stuttering disorders. As a speech therapist, that puts me in a bit of an awkward position as I write this post. If people struggle with stuttering, it is my job to help them. At the same time, the assumption that stuttering is an issue in the first place is ableist, assuming that speech with a stutter is lesser than fluent speech.
But, really, why is stuttering a problem?
Stuttering is a problem for many people who experience it because it is physically uncomfortable. Speaking can come with a lot of tension, and the interruptions in air can affect how smooth and natural speaking feels, but also can impact the smoothness and naturalness of breathing during conversations.
However, stuttering is also a problem because it is socially uncomfortable. And this is where we as non-stutterers need to look at ourselves a little bit more closely. Stuttering and anxiety do often correlate, but this is not always, as non-stutterers assume, because anxiety causes stuttering. When stuttering is present, there is nearly always also anxiety present (at least in the population that seeks treatment for stuttering), specifically because stutterers fear the social repercussions of communicating genuinely. They may fear that we will reject their job application, their invitation out on a date, or their friendly conversation. They may also fear ridicule, bullying, and other extremely rude behaviour. And these fears are often well-founded, based on their lived experiences.
Much of the discomfort of stutterers stems from our discomfort with their speech, and how we demonstrate that discomfort. Even outside of the most extreme responses that people who stutter may fear, the basic ways in which we show up in conversations are typically altered due to our discomfort with a pattern of speech that either we judge as inferior, or our tendency to behave oddly when presented with a novel social phenomenon.
Much of the discomfort of stutterers stems from our discomfort with their speech, and how we demonstrate that discomfort.
How does our discomfort as fluent speakers manifest?
internally, by making judgments about things that we do not understand (e.g. “wow, he seems nervous” or “she doesn’t know what she’s talking about”). This will change the way that we react to stuttered speech.
internally or externally, by praising fluent speech above functional speech (e.g. “you sounded great during today’s presentation!” to mean that no stuttering occurred). This will cause stutterers to
a fundamental misunderstanding of the symptoms of stuttering (e.g. thinking that repetitions, which are auditory symptoms, are more severe than blocks which are silent but often less physically comfortable for the speaker).
failing to uphold our responsibilities in conversation.
Likely the most important of these is the last one. Communication between two people requires two distinct skills: expressive communication (or the ability to convey a message) and receptive communication (the ability to receive a message). By allowing ourselves to get caught up in our own discomfort, we fail to receive the messages that we are intended to hear.
Stuttering does not necessarily impact the communication success of the stutterer. It may take them slightly longer to speak, and in situations where there is time pressure there will be a risk of the message cutting off before it is completed. But in a social conversation, where there are no deadlines, this should not be a concern. What impacts the communication success of the stutterer is, rather, how willing we are to do our part and receive the message that they are putting out into the world. If we fail to do our share, they will not be successful communicators. They could do everything right, but if we tune them out when their rhythm is interrupted to deal with our own awkwardness or anxieties, we don’t do our half of the labour in the conversation. Therefore, in order for them to succeed, we need to do our own work to listen and understand the words, rather than their rhythm.
So, what should we be doing instead?
This is a fantastic question! There actually isn’t a perfect answer. Different people who stutter will prefer different behaviours from their audience. Asking the person what they would like you to do may be helpful, or it may call attention to your discomfort and make the person feel less comfortable speaking in front of you in the future.
One thing that may be helpful is to spend some time reading what people who stutter have to say about stuttering. Social media is a fantastic option for this. Podcasts are a great option as well, and I have had clients recommend Women Who Stutter, StutterTalk, and Stuttering is Cool as a way to accomplish two different goals:
to get different perspectives on stuttering, from the 5% themselves, including their complaints about the ways in which we as fluent people fail them as communicators.
to desensitize ourselves to the sound of stuttering, and get used to listening to the message behind the words rather than the interruptions in rhythm that make fluent people uncomfortable.
If you would like to speak to one of our clinicians about your communication goals and determine whether working with us would be right for you, feel free to reach out to us by phone (647-795-5277) or email (info@torontospeechtherapy.com). Interested parties can also book their initial consultation through the online booking system.
