It is unknown what causes some people to stutter. Stuttering is
an involuntary repetition or prolongation of a sound or syllable or a
blocking of the normal flow of speech. The loss of control that is often
associated with stuttering may cause embarrassment, anxiety or a
feeling of shame about talking. It may be difficult to contribute to
conversations.
The reason some people stutter is unknown. It is considered to be a
neurological problem and is known to run in families. Physical,
emotional and outside influences may contribute to stuttering. We know
that speaking slower can reduce stuttering. Though anxiety does not
cause stuttering, we do know that people who stutter may fear speaking
in certain situations and their stuttering may become worse when they
feel anxious. Unfortunately there is no known cure for stuttering but
treatment may reduce its effect and increase confidence.
Stuttering occurs in all parts of the world and in all languages.
Many famous people have stuttered Rowan Atkinson, Carly Simon,
Harvey Keitel, Noel Gallagher, Bruce Willis, Marilyn Monroe, Winston
Churchill, George Washington.
One in every 100 people will stutter
Four times as many males as females stutter.
It s OK to seek support from family, friends, teachers and Speak Easy
People who stutter may be subjected to teasing and bullying. This is
not something anyone should have to put up with. It is important that
you discuss any occurrence of this with your parents and teachers to
help you develop ways to manage this.
Therapy can help you learn more about yourself and ways you can control your
stutter.
- Enable you to cope better with the stutter and its affects on your life.
- Ensure you are not letting your stutter control your life or
interfere with
your goals.
- It can also help you address issues to do with school, teachers, and
friends to help you understand the problems they may have in dealing
with your stutter and learn what you can do to improve your
confidence in dealing with them.
- Develop techniques to control your stutter and ways to use these
techniques in everyday life
- Control your stutter and keep it in focus with your life
If you do not feel comfortable talking in front of the class let your
teacher know so an alternative activity or assessment can be arranged
You may need to improve your speech to get what you want in life
confidence, respect, friends and jobs. You may want to improve your
speech to feel more accepting of yourself.
Self-help means you are not working alone.
Self-help with other teenagers who stutter can prove positive and
beneficial. Speak Easy can provide you with support and put you in
touch with other teenagers who stutter. It can also put you in contact
with a speech pathologist who has the latest information and knowledge
on the types of therapy available.
After all this, it is still OK to stutter. Stuttering is not a crime. If you
choose not to have therapy or to work on your fluency, this is an entirely
acceptable option. Many teenagers delay seeking treatment or support
until they are ready. This may not be until they are in their late teens or
early twenties.
The internet is a great resource for information about stuttering. Some
sites are specifically written for teenagers.
We've picked out the best ones, which
you can find the links for on our links
page.
