Sometimes when a young child starts to stammer for the first time we think we, as a parent, must have done something to cause it, or that it’s something that will be with them for the rest of their life.
But, in fact, periods of stammering in pre-school children can be a normal part of learning to speak and it is something that many children go through.
The British Stammering Association provides some basic information for parents of under 5’s about what stammering is.
We still don’t quite understand why a particular child starts to stammer at a particular time in his or her language development. We do know, however, it’s not the parents who are causing it.
About 5 per cent of children will go through a stammering phase when they develop language. Most of them will recover fluent speech without any intervention necessary.
However, one in five will be at risk of persistent stammering; early intervention as soon as possible after onset has the best chance of success.
It is not easy to distinguish those children who will recover naturally from those who may need additional help – speech and language therapists will make an assessment and will form a judgement based on risk factors. For example, they will ask if there is anyone else in the child’s family who stammers.
What does stammering sound like?
Stammering is typically recognised by a tense struggle to get words out. This makes it different from the normal non-fluency we all experience which includes hesitations and repetitions. Commonly it involves repeating or prolonging sounds or words, or getting stuck without any sound (silent blocking). Sometimes people put in extra sounds or words. Often people lose eye contact.
Some people who stammer talk their way round difficult words so that you may not realise they stammer at all. This avoidance of words, and avoidance of speaking in some or many situations, is an important aspect of stammering.
Stammering varies tremendously from person to person and is highly variable for the person who stammers who may be fluent one minute and struggling to speak the next.
Terminology
‘stammering’ and ‘stuttering’
“Stammering” is the same as “stuttering”. “Stammering” is more often used in the UK, Ireland and India. “Stuttering” is usual in the North America or Australia.
‘Stammerer’ or ‘person who stammers’
Some people consider the phrase “person who stammers” (or PWS) or “child who stammers” to be preferable to “stammerer”. Stammering is something a person does. It not the most important thing about the person, let alone who he or she is.
Whilst some people who stammer and others object to the term “stammerer”, there are other people who stammer who are comfortable with the term and will commonly use it themselves. BSA uses ‘person who stammers’ and ‘stammerer’ interchangeably, unless specifically referring to children where we would not use the term ‘stammerer’.
What causes stammering?
Research seems to suggest that a combination of factors is involved. Stammering is at root a neurological condition, based in the wiring of the brain. Studies have shown differences in the anatomy and functioning of the brain of those who stammer compared with most other people.
Genetics are relevant, at least in many cases. Someone with stammering in the family seems more likely to develop a stammer themselves.
As an issue that affects communication, stammering can have a deep and lasting psychological impact – which in turn can affect and aggravate stammering.
More information
For more information go to Stammering.org.
Written by Rachel Harrison on behalf of Integrated Treatment Services.
Speech and Language Therapist, .
