Facts on stuttering
What is stuttering?
Stuttering is a communication disorder in which the flow of speech is broken by repetitions (li-li-like this), prolongations (lllllike this), or abnormal stoppages (no sound) of sounds and syllables. There may also be unusual facial and body movements associated with the effort to speak.What causes stuttering?
There are four factors most likely to contribute to the development of stuttering: genetics ( approximately 60% of those who stutter have a family member who does also); child development (children with other speech and language problems or developmental delays are more likely to stutter); neurophysiology ( recent research has shown that people who stutter process speech and language in different areas of the brain than those who do not stutter); and family dynamics ( high expectations and fast-paced lifestyles can contribute to stuttering).Stuttering may occur when a combination of factors comes together and may have different causes in different people. It is probable that what causes stuttering differs from what makes it continue or get worse.
How many people stutter?
Over three million Americans stutter or approximately 1% of the population.What is the ratio of males to females who stutter? Stuttering affects four times as many males as females.
How many children stutter? Some 20 percent of all children go through a stage of development during which they encounter disfluencies severe enough to be a concern to their parents. The best prevention tool is early read more
