Stuttering

Source: MedlinePlus Health Topics, U.S. National Library of Medicine

What is stuttering? Stuttering is a speech disorder . It involves interruptions in the flow of speech. These interruptions are called disfluencies. They may involve: Repeating sounds, syllables, or words Stretching out a sound Suddenly stopping in the middle of a syllable or word Sometimes, along with the stuttering, there may be nodding, rapid blinking, or trembling lips. The stuttering may be worse when you are stressed, excited, or tired. Stuttering can be frustrating, because you know exactly what you want to say, but you have trouble saying it. It can make it difficult to communicate with people. This can cause problems with school, work, and relationships. What causes stuttering? There are two main types of stuttering, and they have different causes: Developmental stuttering is the more common type. It starts in young children while they are still learning speech and language skills. Many children stutter when they first start talking. Most of them will outgrow it. But some continue to stutter, and the exact cause is unknown. There are differences in the brains of people who continue to stutter. Genetics may also play a role, since this type of stuttering can run in families. Neurogenic stuttering can happen after someone has a stroke , head trauma , or other type of brain injury . Because of the injury, the brain has trouble coordinating the different parts of the brain involved in speech. Who is at risk for stuttering? Stuttering can affect anyone, but it is much more common in boys than girls. Younger children are most likely to stutter. About 75% of children who stutter will get better. For the rest, stuttering can continue their whole lives. How is stuttering diagnosed? Stuttering is usually diagnosed by a speech-language pathologist. This is a health professional who is trained to test and treat people with voice, speech, and language disorders. If you or your child stutters, your regular health care provider may give you a referral to a speech-language