Stammering

Putting thoughts into words and then organizing speech so that the words flow well is a very complex task for the human brain. It is amazing that we do not all stammer. No one understands why stammering occurs, but a lot of research is being done to find out.

Stammering seldom occurs when a single word is being spoken or read, but it usually occurs at the beginning of a sentence or idea. Different parts of the brain deal with language processing and the formation of speech, and scientists are looking at the coordination between these processes. One study suggests that, in stammerers, speech formation jumps the gun before the language processing has been completed. Other researchers are looking at the roles of chemicals in the brain that transmit messages between brain cells.

There are various ways in which you can help yourself. The British Stammering Association suggests the following approach.

 

Define the problem. What do you actually do when you stammer?

You also need to consider what you feel about your stammer.

 

Do not try to hide your stammer. You have probably adopted some ‘avoidance behaviours’ to hide or avoid your stammer. The problem is that the more you avoid, the more you need to go on avoiding. If you are avoiding very successfully, you may be thought to be fluent by workmates, partner and friends, but you have to be constantly vigilant to maintain this fluency. Your stammer does not improve or go away because you hide it.

Try to reduce the number of times that you avoid saying a particular word or talking to a particular person or speaking in a particular situation. As well as experimenting with stammering more openly, you may find it useful to try to talk about your stammer to one or two people who are close to you. You will start to learn that people are not as critical as you thought.

 

Be aware of degrees of fluency. You may think there are only two possibilities – either you stammer or you are fluent. Watch and listen carefully when people are speaking on buses, on radio phone-ins, at home and in shops. Is everyone as fluent, concise and articulate as you imagined? You may discover that many apparently fluent speakers are, in fact, quite hesitant when speaking, and that there is not such a clear division between speaking fluently and stammering. You may then begin to accept that you do not have to be fluent all the time.

Some stammers find they can sing along with others, and that their stammer is not as bad when they are with a lot of people all talking together in the same room. To reproduce this effect, an earpiece has been developed that sends out an echo of the user’s voice. It helps to ‘unblock’ the impediment to speech. The device is being tested in scientific studies. According to the British Stammering Association, it helps some people but not all.

Stammering is quite common in the pre-school years. Although three out of four children will grow out of it, many authorities think that pre-schoolers who stutter should be treated. Research in Australia has shown that treating pre-schoolers with speech therapy using a technique called the Lidcombe programme works well (British Medical Journal 2005;331:659–61). Therefore it is worth discussing the problem with your doctor. The British Stammering Association (see useful contacts) has a useful page on its website called ‘Stammering in preschool children – how parents can help’. If your child is of school age, you could tell his/her teachers about the special sections for teachers on the website of the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children (see useful contacts).

You should get the help of a speech and language therapist, preferably one who specializes in the treatment of stammering. Your doctor can refer you, or you can get in touch with a therapist yourself. The therapy may be on an individual basis, or may be in a group. If you have already had speech therapy and feel that you were not helped, try again because therapy may have changed and you may have changed.

Acknowledgement
Some of the information in this section is taken from a leaflet called The Adult Who Stammers published by the British Stammering Association.

Written by: Dr Margaret Stearn
Edited by: Dr Margaret Stearn
Last updated: Saturday, February 13th 2010

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Comments on this article

Posted by megha on 09/02/2010 at 06:33:00 pm

I recently find out that I stammer. I really feel embarrass at times. can i do something to have better speech at this age.

Posted by ajay p. s. on 21/01/2010 at 04:03:00 pm

guyz stammering is a curse..in my school times , durin oral tests i kno all da answers bt due to stammering..i wasn't able to say and teacher alwayz punishes me..gyz one thing is for sure..nobody gonna help you..it;s u who can help urselves.... try to speak slowly and loudly.. never feel embarassed..its difficult bt u hav to try.. and remember u r not alone in this world ..v r all with u.. last bt not da least ..nobody is purely fluent or confident.. god help us all...

Posted by Anonymous on 25/12/2009 at 01:57:00 pm

I don't stammer per se but I do prolong sounds, mostly the 's'. I've been told I've done this since I was a child and it's always stayed with me. I had speech therapy but it didn't help me at all. I am conscious of the fact that I still do it but I'm more accepting of it now - you can't avoid sounds forever! It may annoy some people from time to time but people are generally fine with it. If different methods of overcoming this problem haven't worked for you, it's best to just embrace it as a part of who you are, which is easier said than done I know, but you'll be much better off without putting yourself through more stress to rid yourself of it.

Posted by Deb on 19/11/2009 at 03:53:00 am

My uncle stammered and he could sing without stammering. I think he was a perfectionist so he wanted to always get things right before speaking. But his father had been very critical so that too is a factor I believe. There are tips at www.outside-the-box.net for dealing with daily anxiety so it doesn't build up and manifest as physical issues.

Posted by Anonymous on 18/10/2009 at 05:06:00 pm

It is a common problem in mostly children nowadays.We get annoyed when we cannot help ourselves in not stammering.We feel like as if we'll be like this throughout our life and cannot do anything about it.It usually gives a bad or lame impression on our personality.

Posted by sanjeevan on 10/09/2009 at 03:50:00 pm

hai can u help me to stop stammering?

Posted by raghava on 12/05/2009 at 06:12:00 am

hi how to overcome my stammer.. i was taken spech theraphy but no use

Posted by shahrukh on 30/03/2009 at 07:00:00 pm

i am a mild stammerer and generally rush through my sentences and people cannot understand . pls help me

Posted by Aadil on 25/03/2009 at 05:37:00 pm

i stammer and talk i really need help.

Posted by terence edison on 23/03/2009 at 06:07:00 am

I have stammering. I really wont feel bad that gods have given it to me. When i propose to a gal that iam loving her, she put me down due to stammering. can u please suggest me how to stop stammering. Thank you Regards Terence

Posted by Ani Dwi on 19/03/2009 at 04:03:00 pm

well this helped me a lot ... actually i came to know by this that i used to think and right... all the time ...and secondly it encouraged me more to do it ..actually i think i stammer (well its actually very less) because my breath goes out and actually at some sounds and words ... well thanks a lot !!!

Posted by d on 12/03/2009 at 11:03:00 am

im Stammeringa alot!!! i need help!!

Posted by a e on 01/03/2009 at 11:11:00 pm

I have been stammering since I was 4 years old. I had a loads of problems in school I always failed in my verbal tests and my teachers were not supportive at all nevertheless I did very well in other subjects and acuired most of the qualifications to able to find work. Currently I am doing very well in my field but I am unble to get a promotion or pay progression as one of the criteria is to do presentations and speak "participate" in front of 25 my colleagues and that I simply cant do.

Posted by Shoaib on 19/01/2009 at 09:53:00 pm

hi, i am shoaib i have been stuttering for 4 years now and it really annoys me so much. I don't know how it happened, it just started suddednly sice the age of 9. it interfeers so mmuch with my personal life that i hardly speak to anyone or have much friends, which is really fustarating. i already take speech therapy but it hardly works and my stuttering has become so bad. I really am quite a fun, enjoyable, happy type of person but this stuttering is ruining my life, it's true, because i am also quite smart but in skool i hardly ever answer questions in class and keep quiet also some people make fun out of me, and so den i am in all bottom sets which makes me angry.