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How can I Reduce Stuttering?

Tricia Christensen
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Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 9,922
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Stuttering is not, as many people think, a condition caused by poor parenting or nervous children. Nor is it always a permanent condition. Some children stutter when they are learning to talk and resolve the issue within a year or two. Most stutterers show significant brain processing differences, which suggests stuttering is neurologically based and possibly genetic. Despite years of theories suggesting that relaxation therapy will help stutterers, studies have not supported that these therapies actually reduce stuttering. Instead, the best methods to reduce stuttering are based on fluency shaping therapy, and through the use of anti-stuttering devices.

If you want to reduce stuttering in an adult, the best place to start is by addressing stuttering issues in children. By far, children who are treated for stuttering are much more likely to reduce stuttering in adulthood or to completely eliminate it. In US public schools, any case of stuttering can be freely addressed by a speech language pathologist. In fact, pronounced stuttering in the younger child, as young as 3, qualifies the child for speech language services and special free preschools or therapies. If your child has a pronounced stutter, evidence suggests you should not “wait it out,” but seek treatment for your child while he or she is still very young.

Unfortunately, not all children get needed treatment to reduce stuttering when they are young. This has led to a variety of programs adopted for adults and older children. One method that shows quite a bit of success is fluency shaping therapy. This therapy trains the stutterer to use diaphragmatic breathing, to specifically use the muscles in their jaws, lips and tongue, and to initially slow down speaking. This method first produces a rather monotone voice that is very slow, but later, once people have been able to reduce stuttering, people are encouraged to speed up their language and to add inflection and intonation. A program of this type takes about two years to complete and has about a 75% success rate.

A newer way to reduce stuttering, which does not involve programs or therapy is to use stuttering devices. Two of the most effective are delayed audio feedback (DAF) and frequency-shifted audio feedback (FAF). What these devices do is to slightly change the way a person hears his or her own voice. With DAF, people experience a slight, literally a few tenths of a second, delay prior to hearing their own voice. FAF devices transmit voice sounds at a different pitch. Both of these devices have about a 70% success rate in their goal to reduce stuttering, without any additional therapy. Combined with therapy, they may be even more successful.

People may argue that stuttering occurs most when a stutterer is stressed. Instead, speech language pathologists believe that stutterers may evolve stressful stuttering because of the way they have been treated. They may fear to speak, or be concerned about how they will appear to others. They may be suffering from post-traumatic stress from having been teased for stuttering as children.

These emotional scars can affect stuttering but do not cause it. Methods to reduce stuttering in stressful situations may involve cognitive behavioral therapy or talk therapy to help a person recover from the emotional damage inflicted by others because they stuttered. Stuttering support groups can also help people work out their own emotional difficulties with stuttering, and may help to reduce stuttering that is exaggerated when people feel pressured.

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Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.

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Discussion Comments
By amypollick — On Sep 25, 2011

@anon217293: I am not a doctor, but I do know that any sudden changes, like in speech or something along those lines, can signal a problem. If I were you, I'd make an appointment with my family doctor and get a referral to a neurologist. Good luck.

By anon217293 — On Sep 24, 2011

I am 56 years old. I have never stuttered in my life until about two weeks ago. What type of doctor do I see?

By WGwriter — On Aug 11, 2008

Hi anon16611, Have you talked to the school counselor about services that might help you stop stuttering? This may be inaccurate, but I'm wondering whether you could receive speech/language services through the school's special education department. Since stuttering can affect you both socially and academically, you might want to check with your guidance counselor, or have your parents do so to see if you could get some help through the schools.

Starting junior high can be very tough and it's great that you're taking the initiative to find help. Just remember that even if you do stutter, and even if people sometimes bug you about it, it is their ignorance and not yours that is the problem. Keep us posted on how you're doing. T. Ellis-Christensen

By anon16611 — On Aug 10, 2008

hi, im new at my junior high school and i want to start fresh by not stuttering. please help me.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia...
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