What is Stuttering?
Stuttering, also known as stammering, is a speech disorder characterized by disruptions or interruptions in the flow of speech. People who stutter may experience involuntary repetitions of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases; prolongations of sounds; or blocks where speech is temporarily halted. Stuttering can vary in severity and may be accompanied by physical manifestations such as rapid eye blinks or facial tension.
Stuttering Symptoms
People who stutter or stammer often experience the following symptoms:
- Difficulty starting a word, phrase or sentence
- Brief silence for certain syllables or words
- Pausing before or within a word
- Prolongations of sounds or stretching out a word or sounds within a word
- Involuntary repetition of sounds, syllables, words or phrases
- Tension, tightness or movement of the face or upper body when saying a word, sometimes called facial tics
- Rapid eye blinking
- Trembling lips or jaw
- Head nodding
- Anxiety about talking
When to see a Speech Pathologist for Stuttering
We recommend making an enquiry with Linguo Talks Speech Pathology when stuttering:
- Lasts more than six months
- Occurs in conjunction with other speech or language problems
- Becomes more frequent as a child develops
- Includes symptoms such as muscle tightening or physically struggling when trying to speak
- Affects the ability to effectively communicate at school, work or social settings
- Causes anxiety or emotional stress, such as fear of participating in situations that require speaking or not participating at all