What Do You Know About Stuttering?
What do Lewis Carroll, Bill Walton, and King George VI have in common? They were all
stutterers at some point in their lives. The Stuttering Foundation of America (SFA)
offers this quiz to see how much you know about stuttering.
1. At least 3 million Americans stutter.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
Stuttering, also known as stammering, is a communication disorder.
2. Stuttering affects2 to 3 times as many males as females.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
Scientists don't know why this is so.
3. Despite decades of research, no clear-cut answers have emerged about the causes
of stuttering.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
But much has been learned about the factors that contribute to the development of
stuttering. Genetics plays a part, because stuttering tends to run in families. Young
children who are pushed to speak and speak quickly also can develop a stutter. The
SFA says that parents can take several steps to help a stutterer. The main step is
to slow down when speaking. Another way to help is to refrain from bombarding your
child with questions. If you say, "What did you do at Johnnie's house?," that forces
the child to come up with an answer quickly. If you say, "You look like you had a
good time at Johnnie's house," you give the child time to think, without pressure,
and come up with an answer. Reading to your child can also help, but don't think that
you have to read complex material to be effective. Simple nursery rhymes teach language
by making it fun.
4. People who stutter are self-conscious about their stuttering and often let the
disability determine their vocation.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
The SFA says that people who stutter often pick careers such as journalism or accounting
that don't require a lot of talking. But what really helps someone who stutters is
therapy and practice.
5. You won't find any quick miracle cures for stuttering. Therapy can take up to six
months.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
There is no magic pill that will make stuttering go away in a day, but a speech-language
pathologist who specializes in stuttering can help. According to the SFA, the amount
of therapy and the length of time needed to accomplish specific goals may vary with
each individual.
6. A quarter of all children go through a stage of speech development with severe
enough problems to concern their parents.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
Many children occasionally repeat syllables or words once or twice, li-li-like this.
Other speech differences, or "dysfluencies," may also include hesitancies and the
use of fillers such as "uh," "er," and "um." Experts say that these dysfluencies occur
most often between 18 months and 5 years of age and that they tend to come and go.
Just remember that these are usually signs that a child is using language in new ways.
The National Institutes of Health is working to identify the gene or genes responsible
for stuttering. Once that's done, a child who stutters may be able to have a simple
blood test to see if he carries the marker for stuttering. If so, that child could
then go into therapy immediately. A child without the marker would eventually outgrow
his speech problem without therapy.
7. Stuttering becomes more of a problem as a child becomes a teenager.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
The teenager is starting to date and interact socially, and problems with stuttering
can make this period difficult for the teen.
8. Famous people who stutter have included Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Mel
Tillis, Carly Simon, James Earl Jones, and John Updike.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
All of these people and many others went on to lead successful lives.
9. If you are seeking therapy for your child with a stuttering problem, it's best
to look for a speech-language pathologist who specializes in stuttering.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
One way to find such a professional is to visit the SFA website at http://www.stutteringhelp.org.
Or, you may contact a nearby university or hospital clinic for referral assistance.
You should look for a speech and language pathologist who has a Certificate of Clinical
Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Your score was: