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Stammering
Interview with Mrs. Maya
Sanghi, Speech & Language Pathologist
What is stammering?
Stammering is the inability of a
person to speak in a typically fluent manner. The reason I say typical
is that there is no such thing as normal fluency, each one has a different
fluency pattern. Also, no one is 100% fluent all the time.
How does stammering
manifest itself?
A person who has a stammering problem
will experience hesitancies, silent pauses and significantly frequent struggled
behaviours in the form of repetitions, prolongations and hard vocal attacks.
These are often accompanied by facial grimaces, hand jerks, tongue thrusts,
etc. They frequently avoid speaking situations such as introducing themselves,
answering phones, talking in a classroom situation and making presentations.
What are the causes
of stammering?
As of today, there is no single cause
that has been identified as the cause of stammering. Researchers
believe that there are many influences that determine whether or not an
individual will stutter. The first appearance of stammering in a young
child may be determined by genetic factors. Stammering may become progressively
worse in response to family stresses, listener reactions, and even the
….of learning speech and language. In plain English, if one is more prone
to stammering due to various familial factors (speech and language problem
in the family), then other factors such performance pressure, dramatic
changes in the environment, etc. can precipitate the onset of stammering.
By the time a child is an adolescent,
he has learned to anticipate stammering and may struggle wildly when he
speaks, trying to escape and avoid it. By adulthood, he often copes with
stuttering by limiting his work, friends, and fun to those that put fewer
demands on his speech.
Some of the common precipitating
factors are: change of schools, moving homes, birth of a sibling, separation
of parents, conflict in the family, use of inappropriate speech and language
(using long complex sentences, speaking at a fast rate, advanced or overly
technical vocabulary) and demands exceeding the capacity of the child.
However, even if any of these situations trigger of a stammering problem,
early intervention and help from a qualified speech pathologist can help
control the condition and prevent it from developing further.
Is it necessary
to consult a specialist?
Most parents
whose children stammer tend to believe that they will outgrow it. Even
parents who have sought advice have been told the same thing without regard
to the frequency and type of dysfluencies (the nature of the stammering
symptom) and the non-speech behaviour (eye contact, facial gestures, etc.)
exhibited by the child.
If your child
speaks like this: "I wa-wa-wa-want a Pepsi"; or "Mmmmmmummy, come here";
or "I am g - (pause) - oing to play," and this constitutes more than 10%
of his speech output; and if he breaks eye contact with the listener frequently
during the dysfluencies, then you need to seek professional assistance
immediately.
While a number
of studies have reported that approximately 60% to 80% children recover
spontaneously, there is no way of knowing which child will recover and
which child will not. Thus, early intervention is very important, preferably
before the child starts school. The experience of ridicule, of embarrassment
and shame at speaking in a class, of anxiety at every speaking situation
- these are not experiences any child should grow up with.
Even if you
feel that your child will spontaneously outgrow the problem, it is advisable
to consult a speech therapist. The therapist will instruct you to follow
a few simple speech exercises, which are harmless and at best will
inculcate good speaking habits in your child. It's better to be safe
than sorry.
Can stammering
be cured?
There is nothing like a cure for
stammering, but one can develop a good control over his/her disfluencies
by using simple techniques. These fluency-facilitating techniques
should be most preferably taught at an early age. However, a determined
individual at a later age can also learn these techniques which will help
him control the condition.
Watch out for another interview with
Mrs. Maya Sanghi, where she will discuss a few tips for parents on dealing
with children who have noticeably frequent disfluencies.
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