Sunny Health

There have been plenty of misconceptions about stuttering. No thanks to mainstream media in which dramas often portray stutterers to be socially-inapt, nervous wrecks, even stupid or mentally-challenged, many people trivialize stuttering, often considering it as a joke and something to be disrespectful about.

This week, America commemorates National Stuttering Awareness Week (9 to 15 May this year), and it is a good opportunity to learn more about this frequently misunderstood ailment.

Did you know that many famous people who rely on speech and charisma for their livelihood have struggled with stuttering? Some famous modern-day examples include Emily Blunt, Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, Samuel Jackson, Bruce Willis, all famous artistes who have made their names in Hollywood, and the list goes on, including even American vice-President Joe Biden. As for famous stutterers from the olden days, who would guess that Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and even Winston Churchill the great orator known for his “Iron Curtain” speech, stutter in their speech?

So as you can see, stuttering has got nothing to do with intelligence or social skills, nor does it condemn one to a miserable existence. Some of these people treated their stuttering earlier in life, or while on the job. Some people are capable of refraining from stuttering when the situation calls for it, such as when addressing an audience in a speech. Bruce Willis, in fact, credits acting for easing his stuttering problem.

What causes stuttering?

-          Genetics

-          Early childhood development issues – children with speech and language problems and other developmental delays are more likely to stutter

-          Neurophysiology – the way in which one processes speech and language (stutterers do it a little differently from those who do not stutter)

-          Family dynamics and social environment – high expectations and hectic lifestyles can contribute to stuttering, in other words, stress.

Treatment

Speech therapy is known to have a pretty good effect on curing, or alleviating stuttering. Stuttering cannot be completely eradicated in adults and older children. However, specific speech strategies can help to control stutters, keeping one’s speech stutter-free. In younger children, the results are better and it is easier to get rid of the symptoms completely. Therefore, early treatment is strongly encouraged. There are several speech therapy facilities in Singapore. You can find them in hospitals like SGH and NUH. You can also find many private clinics specializing in treating stuttering.

Early Intervention

Early intervention is particularly important as not only does it increase the success rate of treating stuttering, it can help save a lot of future developmental problems in a child. Children who stutter do tend to be more likely to be picked on by bullies. They may be ostracized or laughed at. They may fear speaking up, and develop a poor self image. All these can have far-reaching negative impacts in their adult lives.

Early signs of stuttering include:

- repeating parts of a word e.g. wha-wha-what’s that?
- Prolonging or holding a sound for too long e.g. Ssssorry
- breathless or tense when talking despite not having done any strenuous activity
- Opens mouth to speak but no words come out
- Excessive usage of filler words like “er”, “um”, “uh”

Of course, young children sometimes have a tendency of not speaking fluently, or even making up their own variations of words. Sometimes, it is just a temporary phase and not a sign of stuttering. Parents can try to correct and improve your child’s speech, but if the problem persists, then take him or her to a speech therapist to get a professional diagnosis.

What parents can do to correct a child’s speech:

Refrain from criticising, scolding and punishment as these would only make the child more anxious and afraid to speak. Instead, use positive reinforcement and personal demonstration. For example, your child wants to eat ice cream but he stutters his request or uses some words incorrectly. You could correct him by gently saying “You want ice cream? Can you follow how I say it?” Then repeat the sentence slowly and correctly, and have him repeat until he gets it right, or there’s improvement. You can even make it into a game of getting him to imitate your speech. Smile and praise him, and of course, get him that ice cream. Positive reinforcement requires patience and a lot of repetition. He may make the same mistake again several more times, but correct him gently each time and your efforts will pay off. 

Chat with your child on a daily basis with no external stimulation or noise. This means no television, computer, phones. Your child will be able to focus better and hear your speech, while you’ll be able to pick up his bad habits and correct him.

Sing with your child. People don’t stutter when they sing, which can be a nice confidence boost. Singing is also known to help vocal alleviate impediments, and is sometimes used in speech therapy. In any case, singing is a fun activity for family bonding.

Don’t be stressed. Your child will catch on and that will make him more anxious and worsen your stammer. Just relax and be positive. At the end of the day, it is more important to ensure that he grows up confident and does not have an inferiority complex. As many real-life examples have shown, speech does not determine a person’s ability to be confident and successful in life. It is all in the head.

How to interact with a stuttering person?

Nobody likes being treated with disrespect or being picked on for a handicap they can’t help. When interacting with a stutterer, treat them the way you wish to be treated. Here are some things to do to help them feel more comfortable:

- Be patient, wait for them to finish what they are saying. Focus on the content rather than the way they are saying it.
- Maintain eye contact and body language to show that you are listening.
- Don’t imitate their speech or tease them for it.
- If the stuttering is severe and you’re pressed for time, or they’re just clearly stuck, you can politely suggest that they write it down - “Would you like to write it down instead?”
- If you are close to the person, you may ask them if there is anything you can do to help them cope when they stutter. Different people have different preferences on how to handle their stuttering. For example, some people are grateful when people finish their sentence for them, while others get offended.

Remember, respect is the key word. As long as you behave respectfully and genuinely, you do not have to worry that you’re behaving inappropriately.

References:

http://www.stutteringhelp.org

http://sg.theasianparent.com/s-s-s-stutter/

http://www.healthxchange.com.sg/answers/Pages/stuttering-and-voice-disorders-doctor-questions-and-answers-health-xchange-singapore.aspx