Speech stuttering is an involuntarily speech disorder in which pronunciation of the first letter or syllable of a word is repeated. This causes hindrance in the normal communication of the person. It starts at childhood and can last throughout the life. It can be typically noticed between age 2 and 5.
There could be other behaviors related to it like excessive muscle tension of the face, neck, stomach and frowning etc. Stuttering occurs three to four times more often in boys than girls though the reason for this difference between the sexes in not known.
Stuttering leads to frustration, distress, and emotional embarrassment as the person grows. People who stutter tend to avoid situations where they need to speak because of the fear, distress and other factors associated with speech stuttering. They may avoid taking up a career in which they think that their stuttering will be a problem.
Tips to overcome Speech Stuttering
Although there is no accurate or permanent cure for speech stuttering, a timely intervention can check this pronunciation problem to a greater extent. There are many techniques through which an individual can learn to improve on his/her stuttering problem. Some are mentioned below:
- Control and/or monitor the rate at which he/she speaks.
- By learning to control their breathing.
- Using short phrases or sentences with slower speed and less physically tense manner.
- Learning to use lip, jaw, and tongue when speaking a word.
- Follow-up and maintenance sessions with the speech therapist is a must in order to prevent any relapse.
There are many pharmacological agents like anti-psychotic, anti-depressant, and anti-convulsant drugs which have been used in the treatment of stuttering involving adults and children. But the potential side effects of these drugs such as weight gain, fatigue etc were noted remarkably. So the most recommended therapy is seeking the help of a speech therapist to minimize the faulty speech.
Lastly, the individual should be confident and relaxed since this is not a clinical disorder, but a behavioral glitch. It is an uncontrolled action, so a constant learning and applying technique could make the life better. After all, you did not choose it.
