Stuttering and Disfluency
A disfluency is an interruption in the flow of speech. Individuals who stutter may repeat portions of words (repetitions), stretch sounds in words (prolongations), or have difficulty getting words out (blocks). Beyond disfluencies in speech, people who stutter may experience facial and body tension as well as negative feelings about communication that can impact the way they interact with others.
Stuttering varies within individuals, meaning the person who stutters may be more fluent in some contexts and less fluent in others.
Many children go through typical periods of disfluency that last less than six months. Some disfluencies can be seen in individuals that do not stutter. These disfluencies are not associated with stuttering.
Signs and Symptoms of Stuttering
part-word repetitions – "I n-n-n-need a break."
one-syllable word repetitions – "Help-help-help me please."
prolonged sounds – "Fffffffffffish live in the ocean."
blocks or stops – "I ride the (pause) bus."
head nodding and/or eye blinking in conjunction with any of the aforementioned disfluencies
avoidance of certain words with any of the aforementioned disfluencies
avoidance of communicating with any of the aforementioned disfluencies
Disfluencies Not Associated with Stuttering
adding words such as um or uh – "I saw him uh Tuesday."
repeating multisyllabic whole words – "Rainbows-rainbows are colorful."
repeating phrases – "My Mom-my Mom wears glasses.”
revising sentences – "I had–I need more juice."
Avoidance, negative feelings, and tension typically do not occur with these disfluencies. The individual producing these disfluencies is often unaware of them. These disfluencies are considered typical and not associated with stuttering.
Possible Causes and Risk Factors Associated with Stuttering
family history of stuttering
neurological differences in the brain
biological males are more likely to continue stuttering
children who start stuttering at age 3 and a half or later are more likely to continue stuttering