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Stuttering Symptoms: What Causes Stuttering and What Are the Symptoms?

Stuttering Symptoms

Communication is key to connecting with people, voicing opinions, making requests, and expressing feelings. But what happens when a person has difficulty conveying their words?

Although many people have trouble communicating, a stuttering disorder creates a different hurdle. If you or someone you love has staggered speech, you’re not alone. According to studies, approximately 3 million Americans stutter.

To learn more information about stuttering symptoms, keep reading.

What Is Stuttering?

Stuttering is an issue that commonly occurs during childhood, but for some, it lasts a lifetime. It’s a speech disorder that hinders a person from communicating smoothly.

Stuttering symptoms are usually characterized by repeated words, sounds, and syllables. A person who stutters takes longer to pronounce words and has an uneven speech rate.

The Different Types of Stuttering

There are three types of stuttering disorders.

Developmental: Very common in male children under the age of five. The issue starts as they develop speech but usually goes away without treatment.

Neurogenic: This stuttering symptom is caused by signal abnormalities between the brain, nerves, or muscles.

Psychogenic: Originates in the area of the brain that controls thinking and reasoning.

Common Stuttering Symptoms

Stuttering is a condition that makes communication difficult for the person speaking and the person listening. For example, the person talking may repetitively stay on one syllable.

For example, they might say, “Www, We where aaare y-you going?” A stuttering person also gets stuck on letters like K, T, or G. The challenge of speaking often causes stress, physical reactions, and other triggers such as:

Other Complications With Stuttering

Unfortunately, stuttering symptoms not only cause issues with communication but creates difficulty in other areas of the individual’s life. As a result, people who stutter are often treated as having a mental disorder instead of a speech impairment.

It could also hinder their social and romantic relationships, as well as cause other problems like:

How to Make Communication Easier

Communicating with a child or adult who stutters doesn’t have to be a struggle. Give them your attention like anyone else if they have something to say. Make eye contact with them as they speak to feel more at ease.

Also, try to avoid situations that could potentially make stuttering worse. For example, engage in conversation during relaxed moments like car rides, dinner time, or walks in the park.

Don’t make awkward faces or voice frustration when speaking with them. That’ll lead to them becoming agitated as well.

Lastly, use patience. Be present at the moment and practice active listening.

When Do Stuttering Symptoms Start?

The beginning signs of stuttering usually appear when a child is between 18 to 24 months old. This stage in their growth is when they start forming sentences, and their vocabulary begins to expand. However, it’s normal for kids to stutter a little at this age.

A child might stutter for weeks or months, and staggered speech may come and go. Most children stop having speech difficulties around the age of five. But for those with a speech disorder, stuttering is consistent and could become worse over time.

Physical movements within the face and body are associated with it as well. Therefore, treatments are needed if you notice these signs in your child.

What Causes Stuttering in Adults and Children?

Everyone stutters from time to time. It occurs from the natural process of putting together words and thoughts. But for those who suffer from stuttering consistently, it could be due to the following reasons:

Injuries to the brain, such as a stroke, can cause neurogenic stuttering. Likewise, emotional trauma triggers psychogenic stuttering.

It can also be hereditary within families due to a brain abnormality that controls language. One or more children may also inherit stuttering if a parent is a stutter.

Treatment for Stuttering

A speech-language pathologist helps to diagnose stuttering. It doesn’t require invasive testing, but the doctor will evaluate stuttering symptoms and other factors. They’ll also examine the family history, how long the stuttering has lasted, stuttering behaviors, and other language difficulties.

Treatment will likely consist of several visits to a speech therapist and speech exercises. The therapist will help the individual learn how to manage laryngeal tension, monitor speech rate, and practice breathing.

Some people have also tried alternative methods for stuttering, such as acupuncture and electric brain stimulation.

Although it’s been said that there is no cure for stuttering, there may be ways to learn how to stop stuttering.

Why Do People Stutter? A New Perspective

There’s still a lot to learn about stuttering, but everyone can do their part to become more educated about it. Communication isn’t just about speaking— it’s about understanding. The more we know about speech disorders, the better we can work through them.

Did you enjoy reading this article about stuttering symptoms? If so, browse the rest of our blog. We cover an array of topics ranging from lifestyle to finance.

Our goal is to keep our readers interested and educated. So keep reading to learn more!

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