Stuttering: what it looks like and what are the treatments

Stuttering is a speech disorder that usually occurs at an early age but can also occur in adults. Let's find out what it is and how to fix it.

When we talk about stuttering we mean, specifically, a speech fluency disorder. In fact, those who suffer from it tend to have an altered rhythm of the word, characterized by hesitations and repetitions of syllables. Speech then becomes less fluent , difficult to experience and difficult to understand and all because of changes in sound. Although its onset is usually linked to the first years of life, in some cases, often due to stress , it can recur or even appear for the first time in adulthood.

Causes and symptoms of stuttering

At the moment there are no known causes for stuttering but it is believed that this can arise from neurophysiological problems and that it often manifests itself in severe stress conditions.

Furthermore, when it occurs, it can vary in size according to some social factors, such as the context in which the person who suffers from it is found and the number of people in front of him. At the same time it can vanish temporarily if you sing or repeat something from memory. Which suggests that thought is somehow linked to its manifestation. Going to the symptoms , these are obviously quite recognizable and translate into:

– Words pronounced with excessive effort
– Repetition of sounds or syllables
– Word breaks
– Circumlocutions
– Sudden blocks of speech
– Repetition of whole words in decomposed mode

In the presence of the same or even just a few, it is very important to ask for help in order to be able to implement a process aimed at restoring language.

It has in fact been ascertained that those who suffer from stuttering have a greater probability of experiencing problems in social relationships, low self-esteem and generalized social anxiety .

When does stuttering occur and how to cure it

As already mentioned, stuttering usually occurs in children between 2 and 7 years of age.
In rarer cases it can occur during adolescence or adulthood. In any case, it is always good to act promptly in order to understand the causes of its appearance and find the right cure which can vary from person to person.

Generally, once the symptoms have been identified, there are tests that can highlight the actual presence of stuttering. To these are added specific tests aimed at excluding physical damage such as tumors or neurological problems. Genetic predisposition is also taken into consideration and with it the possible incidence of traumas experienced from the moment of birth up to the moment in which the problem arose.

Stuttering cures

This problem is very complex and therefore requires the collaboration between several professional figures such as the neurologist, the pediatrician (in case of a problem present in children), the psychologist and the speech therapist.

Once stuttering has been identified and physical causes such as stroke and tumors and those related to dyslexia or ADHD have been excluded, it is important to start an individual journey that may require both psychological support and one from the speech therapist.

At this juncture it is very important that the subject lives as much as possible in a serene and non-blaming environment . Only in this way, in fact, will it be possible to acquire the essential confidence to obtain a good mastery of the language. To this will be added targeted exercises aimed at training the fluency of the language. In general, stuttering can also be completely cured, even acquiring an easy way of speaking. Of course, everything depends on the person, the speed of intervention and the social context.

Difference between stuttering and cluttering

There are often questions about the differences between stuttering and cluttering or slurring.
The latter, however, is characterized by some differences which are the very fast and disorderly speech, the incomprehensibility of many expressions and the fact that those who suffer from it do not realize it. In any case, it is always a problem related to language and therefore it is important to investigate in order to find the right cure.

The positive aspect, however, remains the fact that with due attention and the most appropriate treatments, speech problems can be cured. And above all, they can be treated in a way that makes life for those who suffer from it as simple as possible.

Riproduzione riservata © - WT