About Stammering & Stuttering

What is stammering?

Stammering, also known as stuttering, is a neurological condition which can make it difficult to produce spoken language.

It’s not caused by low intelligence, anxiety, or any underlying language disorder. Its causes are still not fully understood, but we do know that there’s a strong genetic link. It also affect males more than females.

On the surface, stammering typically takes the form of repetitions and prolongations of sounds, and the cessation of airflow (blocks). People who stammer may also display secondary behaviours such as facial grimacing, involuntary movements, and avoidance of certain sounds, words, or speaking situations.

Many children - about 8% - will experience a stammer as a natural phase of their language development. The majority of these will go on to develop fully fluent speech, but for about 1% of the overall population stammering will be a lifelong condition.

Many people who stammer can become accustomed to concealing their difficulty, or to brushing it off as ‘not a big deal’, whereas it can in fact have a profound effect on one’s self-esteem. It can, for some, be a very isolating and frustrating experience.

There is currently no cure for stammering, and Speech and Language Therapy is not aimed at ‘eradicating’ dysfluency. Instead, it’s aimed both at teaching strategies designed to aid more fluent speech and how to approach living with a stammer in a more positive and healthy way.