Stuttering

Stuttering is a speech disorder characterized by repetition of sounds, syllables, or words; prolongation of sounds; and interruptions in speech known as blocks. An individual who stutters exactly knows what he or she would like to say but has trouble producing a normal flow of speech.

These speech disruptions may be accompanied by struggle behaviours, such as rapid eye blinks or tremors of the lips.

Stuttering can make it difficult to communicate with other people, which often affects a child’s quality of life and interpersonal relationships. Stuttering can also negatively influence performance in social events and academics.

Symptoms of stuttering can vary significantly throughout a person’s day. In general, speaking before a group or talking on the telephone may make a person’s stuttering more severe, while singing, reading, or speaking in unison may temporarily reduce stuttering.

Stuttering is sometimes referred to as stammering.

Fluency Therapy is often required with extensive counselling to manage children with stuttering.