Stuttering - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

Stuttering — also called stammering or childhood-onset fluency disorder — is a speech disorder that involves frequent and significant ... COVID-19:Advice,updatesandvaccineoptions FindoutaboutCOVID-19,COVID-19vaccines,andMayoClinicpatientandvisitorupdates. Skiptositenavigation SkiptoContent ThiscontentdoesnothaveanEnglishversion.ThiscontentdoesnothaveanArabicversion. SectionsforStutteringSymptoms&causesDiagnosis&treatment Print OverviewStuttering—alsocalledstammeringorchildhood-onsetfluencydisorder—isaspeechdisorderthatinvolvesfrequentandsignificantproblemswithnormalfluencyandflowofspeech.Peoplewhostutterknowwhattheywanttosay,buthavedifficultysayingit.Forexample,theymayrepeatorprolongaword,asyllable,oraconsonantorvowelsound.Ortheymaypauseduringspeechbecausethey'vereachedaproblematicwordorsound. Stutteringiscommonamongyoungchildrenasanormalpartoflearningtospeak.Youngchildrenmaystutterwhentheirspeechandlanguageabilitiesaren'tdevelopedenoughtokeepupwithwhattheywanttosay.Mostchildrenoutgrowthisdevelopmentalstuttering. Sometimes,however,stutteringisachronicconditionthatpersistsintoadulthood.Thistypeofstutteringcanhaveanimpactonself-esteemandinteractionswithotherpeople. Childrenandadultswhostuttermaybenefitfromtreatmentssuchasspeechtherapy,usingelectronicdevicestoimprovespeechfluencyorcognitivebehavioraltherapy.Products&ServicesBook:MayoClinicFamilyHealthBook,5thEditionNewsletter:MayoClinicHealthLetter—DigitalEditionShowmoreproductsfromMayoClinic SymptomsStutteringsignsandsymptomsmayinclude: Difficultystartingaword,phraseorsentence Prolongingawordorsoundswithinaword Repetitionofasound,syllableorword Briefsilenceforcertainsyllablesorwords,orpauseswithinaword(brokenword) Additionofextrawordssuchas"um"ifdifficultymovingtothenextwordisanticipated Excesstension,tightness,ormovementofthefaceorupperbodytoproduceaword Anxietyabouttalking Limitedabilitytoeffectivelycommunicate Thespeechdifficultiesofstutteringmaybeaccompaniedby: Rapideyeblinks Tremorsofthelipsorjaw Facialtics Headjerks Clenchingfists Stutteringmaybeworsewhenthepersonisexcited,tiredorunderstress,orwhenfeelingself-conscious,hurriedorpressured.Situationssuchasspeakinginfrontofagrouportalkingonthephonecanbeparticularlydifficultforpeoplewhostutter. However,mostpeoplewhostuttercanspeakwithoutstutteringwhentheytalktothemselvesandwhentheysingorspeakinunisonwithsomeoneelse. Whentoseeadoctororspeech-languagepathologistIt'scommonforchildrenbetweentheagesof2and5yearstogothroughperiodswhentheymaystutter.Formostchildren,thisispartoflearningtospeak,anditgetsbetteronitsown.However,stutteringthatpersistsmayrequiretreatmenttoimprovespeechfluency. Callyourdoctorforareferralorcontactaspeech-languagepathologistdirectlyforanappointmentifstuttering: Lastsmorethansixmonths Occurswithotherspeechorlanguageproblems Becomesmorefrequentorcontinuesasthechildgrowsolder Occurswithmuscletighteningorvisiblystrugglingtospeak Affectstheabilitytoeffectivelycommunicateatschool,atworkorinsocialinteractions Causesanxietyoremotionalproblems,suchasfearoravoidanceofsituationswherespeakingisrequired Beginsasanadult RequestanAppointmentatMayoClinic CausesResearcherscontinuetostudytheunderlyingcausesofdevelopmentalstuttering.Acombinationoffactorsmaybeinvolved.Possiblecausesofdevelopmentalstutteringinclude: Abnormalitiesinspeechmotorcontrol.Someevidenceindicatesthatabnormalitiesinspeechmotorcontrol,suchastiming,sensoryandmotorcoordination,maybeinvolved. Genetics.Stutteringtendstoruninfamilies.Itappearsthatstutteringcanresultfrominherited(genetic)abnormalities. StutteringresultingfromothercausesSpeechfluencycanbedisruptedfromcausesotherthandevelopmentalstuttering.Astroke,traumaticbraininjury,orotherbraindisorderscancausespeechthatissloworhaspausesorrepeatedsounds(neurogenicstuttering). Speechfluencycanalsobedisruptedinthecontextofemotionaldistress.Speakerswhodonotstuttermayexperiencedysfluencywhentheyarenervousorfeelingpressured.Thesesituationsmayalsocausespeakerswhostuttertobelessfluent. Speechdifficultiesthatappearafteranemotionaltrauma(psychogenicstuttering)areuncommonandnotthesameasdevelopmentalstuttering. RiskfactorsMalesaremuchmorelikelytostutterthanfemalesare.Factorsthatincreasetheriskofstutteringinclude: Delayedchildhooddevelopment.Childrenwhohavedevelopmentaldelaysorotherspeechproblemsmaybemorelikelytostutter. Havingrelativeswhostutter.Stutteringtendstoruninfamilies. Stress.Stressinthefamily,highparentalexpectationsorothertypesofpressurecanworsenexistingstuttering. ComplicationsStutteringcanleadto: Problemscommunicatingwithothers Beinganxiousaboutspeaking Notspeakingoravoidingsituationsthatrequirespeaking Lossofsocial,school,orworkparticipationandsuccess Beingbulliedorteased Lowself-esteem ByMayoClinicStaff RequestanAppointmentatMayoClinic Diagnosis&treatment June05,2021 Print Shareon:FacebookTwitter Showreferences Stuttering.AmericanSpeech-Language-HearingAssociation.http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/stuttering.htm.AccessedMay4,2021. Childhood-onsetfluencydisorder(stuttering).In:DiagnosticandStatisticalManualofMentalDisordersDSM-5.5thed.Arlington,Va.:AmericanPsychiatricAssociation;2013.http://dsm.psychiatryonline.org.AccessedMay4,2021. Stuttering.NationalInstituteonDeafnessandOtherCommunicationDisorders.https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/stuttering.AccessedMay4,2021. FAQ:Stutteringfactsandinformation.StutteringFoundationofAmerica.http://www.stutteringhelp.org/faq.AccessedMay4,2021. 7tipsfortalkingwithyourchild.StutteringFoundationofAmerica.http://www.stutteringhelp.org/7-tips-talking-your-child-0.AccessedMay4,2021. CarterJ,etal.Etiologyofspeechandlanguagedisordersinchildren.https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search.AccessedMay4,2021. CarterJ,etal.Evaluationandtreatmentofspeechandlanguagedisordersinchildren.https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search.AccessedMay4,2021. PerezH,etal.Stuttering:Clinicalandresearchupdate.CanadianFamilyPhysician.2016;62:479. GabbardGO,ed.Communicationdisorders.In:Gabbard'sTreatmentsofPsychiatricDisorders.5thed.Arlington,Va.:AmericanPsychiatricAssociation;2014.http://psychiatryonline.org/doi/book/10.1176/appi.books.9781585625048.AccessedMay4,2021. Minimizingbullyingforchildrenwhostutter.NationalStutteringAssociation.http://www.westutter.org/who-we-help/minimizing-bullying-children-stutter/.AccessedMay4,2021. Related AssociatedProcedures Cognitivebehavioraltherapy Products&Services Book:MayoClinicFamilyHealthBook,5thEdition Newsletter:MayoClinicHealthLetter—DigitalEdition ShowmoreproductsandservicesfromMayoClinic StutteringSymptoms&causesDiagnosis&treatment Advertisement MayoClinicdoesnotendorsecompaniesorproducts.Advertisingrevenuesupportsournot-for-profitmission. Advertising&Sponsorship Policy Opportunities AdChoices MayoClinicPress Checkoutthesebest-sellersandspecialoffersonbooksandnewslettersfromMayoClinicPress. NEW–TheEssentialDiabetesBook-MayoClinicPressNEW–TheEssentialDiabetesBookCookSmart,EatWell–2FREErecipes-MayoClinicPressCookSmart,EatWell–2FREErecipesNEW–MayoCliniconHearingandBalance-MayoClinicPressNEW–MayoCliniconHearingandBalanceFREEMayoClinicDietAssessment-MayoClinicPressFREEMayoClinicDietAssessmentMayoClinicHealthLetter-FREEbook-MayoClinicPressMayoClinicHealthLetter-FREEbook CON-20319029 PatientCare&HealthInformation Diseases&Conditions Stuttering