Stuttering and Cluttering

What Is Stuttering and Cluttering?

Talking to people can be hard if you stutter. You may get stuck on certain words or sounds. You may feel tense or uncomfortable. You might change words to avoid stuttering.
We all have times when we do not speak smoothly. We may add “uh” or “you know” to what we say. Or, we may say a sound or word more than once. These are called disfluencies.

People who stutter may have more disfluencies and different types of disfluencies. They may repeat parts of words (repetitions), stretch a sound out for a long time (prolongations), or have a hard time getting a word out (blocks).

Stuttering is more than just disfluencies. Stuttering also may include tension and negative feelings about talking. It may get in the way of how you talk to others. You may want to hide your stuttering. So, you may avoid certain words or situations. For example, you may not want to talk on the phone if that makes you stutter more.

Stuttering can change from day to day. You may have times when you are fluent and times when you stutter more. Stress or excitement can lead to more stuttering.

Signs and Symptoms of Stuttering

The following typical disfluencies happen to many of us and are not stuttering:

• Adding a sound or word, called an interjection – “I um need to go home.”
• Repeating whole words – “Cookies cookies and milk.”
• Repeating phrases – “He is–he is 4 years old.”
• Changing the words in a sentence, called revision – “I had–I lost my tooth.”
• Not finishing a thought – “His name is . . . I can’t remember.”

When children are learning a lot of words or new speech sounds, you may notice some of these typical disfluencies. This is normal.

The following types of disfluencies happen when someone stutters:

• Part-word repetitions – “I w-w-w-want a drink.”
• One-syllable word repetitions – “Go-go-go away.”
• Prolonged sounds – “Ssssssssam is nice.”
• Blocks or stops – “I want a (pause) cookie.”

You may also notice other behaviors like head nodding or eye blinking. Sometimes people who stutter use these behaviors to stop or keep from stuttering. They may also avoid using certain words or use different words to keep from stuttering.

Feelings and attitudes can affect stuttering. For example, frustration or tension can cause more disfluencies. Being excited or feeling rushed can also increase disfluencies. A person who stutters may also stutter more if others tease them or bring attention to their speech. Stuttering may cause a person to be embarrassed and make them feel nervous about talking.

Treatment For Older Children and Adults Who Stutter

For older children and adults, treatment focuses on managing stuttering. A Speech Therapist will help them feel less tense and speak more freely in school, at work, and in different social settings. The Speech Therapist will also help the person face speaking situations that make them fearful or anxious. This might include speaking on the phone or ordering food at a restaurant.

Some adults who started stuttering as a child may want to see a Speech Therapist every once in a while. Our team will talk to the person about how stuttering affects their everyday life and can help the person practice ways to manage stuttering.

Older children and adults who stutter may get advantages from our individual and group therapy in the Persian Speech Clinic where they can talk with others who stutter and learn about other helpful experiences.