International Stuttering Awareness Day

Today is International Stuttering Awareness Day. Stuttering is a speech disorder that affects more than 70 million people worldwide. And while none of us is 100% fluent all of the time, there are differences between typical dysfluencies and a stuttering disorder.

Some typical dysfluencies include: adding a sound or word (e.g. “I um want an apple”), repeating words or phrases (e.g. “I want - I want an apple”), changing words in sentences (e.g. “I have - I had an apple”) or not finishing a thought (e.g. “I need to buy…I can’t remember”).

Also, when young children are learning lots of new words, it is not unusual for them to demonstrate dysfluent speech. This usually resolves by itself and there are things that family members can do to support a child with dysfluencies. I recommend consulting a speech-language pathologist to discuss your concerns, and learn what you can do to help.

Characteristics of a true stuttering disorder include:

• Part word repetitions (e.g. “I w-w-w-want an apple”)

• One syllable word repetitions (e.g. ‘Give-give-give me an apple”)

• Prolonging sounds (e.g. “I want an a-a-a-a-apple”)

• Blocks or stops between words (e.g. ‘I want an [pause] apple”)

In addition to these verbal characteristics, there may be physical symptoms of stuttering. These include:

• Eye blinking

• Head nodding

• Tapping or other repetitive gesture

• Body tension

Stuttering can have a major impact on an individual’s self-esteem. People may be anxious and shy away from speaking in public. A person’s feelings about their stutter may make it worse. This can be especially true if others make fun of someone who stutters. Working with a speech-language pathologist can help reduce anxiety about various speaking situations, provide strategies to speak more easily, and help family members learn how they can support their family member who stutters.

When to consult a speech-language pathologist:

1. Your child's stuttering has lasted for 6–12 months or more.

2. Your child starts to stutter late (after 3½ years old).  

3. Your child starts to stutter more often.

4. Your child tenses up or struggles when talking.

5. Your child avoids talking or says it is too hard to talk.

6. There is a family history of stuttering.

(ASHA.org, 2020)

There are many resources available to help people who stutter. These include:

• The American Speech-Language Hearing Association

• National Stuttering Association

• The Stuttering Foundation

• American Board of Fluency and Fluency Disorders

• International Stuttering Association

• Stuttering Association for the Young

• Friends: The National Association of Young People Who Stutter

• Stutter Talk

People who stutter can go on and have tremendously successful lives. Some famous people who stutter include: Joseph Biden (former U.S. Senator and Vice-President of the United States), Emily Blunt (actress), James Earl Jones (actor), Johnny Damon (professional baseball player), and Jack Welch (retired CEO of General Electric). Click here to see more famous people who stutter.