Stammering or stuttering is a speech disorder which is characterized by delay in the speech.
There are many other names used for this phenomenon which may include dysphemia and alalia literalis.
The speech disorder involves involuntary recapitulations. Also the person may find it difficult to enunciate certain words and will also face some delay before the speech.
Stammering or stuttering also refers to the perturbance in the fluency of speech.
There are many other things that should be discussed in this regard. So without wasting any further time let us jump straight into the discussion. Also we will be discussing possible stammering treatments.
Table of Contents
Overview
Stammering is a nervous disorder and it has little to do with speech production. The person who stammers will find it difficult to pronounce some words or in some cases the person will take a long rest before beginning with the main topic.
As stated earlier that it is a nervous disorder so to just get a brief idea we will try to build a basic understanding on stammering.
The motor nerves in the body which are responsible for carrying the message from our brain to different body parts ( which is mouth in this case) don’t arrive in an accurate manner. Hence leading to a confusion which will come across as stammering and stuttering.
So now when we get the basic idea of the actual problem, let us just jump towards the main types of stammering. There are two main types of stammering:
Main Types of Stammering
Developmental or Innate Stammering
As the name indicates, this type of stammering is due to developmental issues. But the point that should be given the due importance is that there is no role of parents in this case.
A child who is born healthy can also fall into this type of stammering. It is more prevalent in the society and according to the data collected, there are 70 million cases of stammering all over the world which makes upto 1% of the world’s population.
Acquired Stuttering
This type of stammering is less common among masses and is caused due to some physical trauma or injury. This acquired or late onset stammering is due to progressive neurological disorders.
Acquired stuttering is found in older people or adults who have experienced severe physical trauma.
As developmental stammering is more prevalent so our discussion will be held in accordance with it.
Causes of Stammering
The research is still going on and the researchers are trying to find out the main reasons for this phenomenon but the information we have gathered so far hints at multiple factors. The description of causes of stuttering is as follows:
Deformity in Speech
Speech is a complex process which involves many parts of the brain. With the passing of time, a child makes use of every part of the brain for speech delivery and the child develops proper and specific neural pathways.
But if the wiring or neural pathway is not formed in an accurate fashion then it can lead to inappropriate wiring. Hence leading to stuttering in the later part of the life.
However there are some cases when the neural wiring repositions itself in accordance with the correct pathway and the person can grow out of stammering on his/her own.
Genetics and Gender
The other main causes of stammering may include genetics and gender. The reports and the data collected so far has also indicated a repetitive trend of stammering in the families which means that abnormal and faulty genes are responsible for inducing stammering.
Also the stammering process is found to be more common among the boys as compared to the girls. The reason for this is still unknown.
Stammering Treatment
Stammering is often found to be a common thing among children and the issue may resolve with the passage of time.
But there are cases when the stutter can continue into adulthood.
So it is necessary to know the cause at an early age rather than prolonging it and making it difficult to treat.
There are no medications and pills that can reverse the stammering but there are therapies available which can help to manage the stammering in children.
The children with these therapies have their symptoms improved and in some cases the problem is completely eliminated from those children.
To start with the treatment options for stammering, it is essential to put this thing forward that parents shouldn’t feel hesitant and reluctant to get their children checked.
Experts even agree that if your child is above 3 years and has been stuttering for three to six months then it could indicate some temporary developmental problems. But they can be cured by a proper medical intervention.
Side Read: Find out 9 signs of a healthy growing baby!
1-Speech Therapy
Speech therapy is one of the indispensable things that have shown amazing results in treating stammering issues in children. A speech-language pathologist can suggest such speech therapies which will alleviate the burden from the nerves.
The speech therapies also help the children in slowing down where necessary.
Though the results are relatively slow and you might even face some difficulty during initial periods but it will get better with the passage of time.
These speech therapies aim at long term goals so you have to be patient in discovering the outcomes of these therapies.
Side Read: Find out more about delayed speech in children.
2-Behavioural Therapies
There are certain behavioural therapies which can also help in stammering. It has also been found that stammering can become worse during a state of anxiety and stress.
Try out these breathing exercises for reducing stress and anxiety.
With that being said, it is pretty clear that managing anxiety and stress can also help in treating stammering.
The behavioural therapies also try to elevate the lost self esteem and self confidence among children which is again beneficial for them. These therapies also aim at developing optimism in these children.
Find out the benefits of optimism.
3-Electronic Devices
There are certain electronic devices which can help in promoting fluency in speech.
These medical electronic devices may include devices which can repeat your words at a slower rate.
There are some other devices that play your voice at a lower frequency and it may sound like you are speaking in unison with yourself.
These devices are fitted in ears and they have brought up fruitful results. But more extensive research is needed in this regard as this method is not suitable for everyone.
What Can Parents Do In This Regard?
Parents should try to give the necessary space to their children. Parents need to be a bit patient to help their stammering children. Parents should encourage their children to speak the way they want. Parents shouldn’t put pressure on their children to do beyond their capacities. Try to maintain a calm and placid environment at home.
Related: discover these 10 important things which your children need for healthy growth and a happy life.
The Final Outlook
Stammering no doubt interferes with the normal day to day activities. But one should not let this thing affect self confidence. Stammering in many cases can be cured on its own. But there are many methods that can also assist you in this regard. If you or your children are still facing difficulty in speaking fluently, then make an appointment today with the best speech therapist. To read more on healthcare issues, visit our website healthwie.pk.
