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. Take this quiz to see how much you
know
about stuttering.
1. At least 3 million Americans stutter.
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Stuttering, also known as stammering, is a communication disorder.
2. Stuttering affects 2 to 3 times as many males as
females.
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Scientists don't know why this is so.
3. Despite decades of research, no clear-cut answers have emerged about the causes
of stuttering.
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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 for it
to
work. 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.
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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.
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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 person.
6. A quarter of all children go through a stage of speech development with severe
enough problems to concern their parents.
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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 they
carry
the marker for stuttering. If so, that child could then go into therapy right away.
A
child without the marker would eventually outgrow their speech problem without therapy.
7. Stuttering becomes more of a problem as a child becomes a teenager.
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The teenager is
starting to date and interact socially, and problems with stuttering can make this
period difficult for them.
8. Famous people who stutter have included Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Mel
Tillis, Carly Simon, James Earl Jones, and John Updike.
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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.
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One way to find
such a professional is to visit the SFA website at 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.
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