How to Treat Stuttering?

How to Treat Stuttering?

Stuttering is the disruption of the fluency of speech by repetitions, prolongations and blocks. Although there are some risk factors for stuttering, the cause of stuttering is not yet clearly understood. Psychological factors may play a role in the emergence of existing stuttering and the severity of stuttering.

Individuals who stutter do not experience language difficulties, but they have difficulty producing fluent speech. In individuals who stutter, in addition to the disruption of the fluency of speech, secondary behaviors that accompany moments of stuttering may be observed. These secondary behaviors may consist of eye blinking, head nodding, and various body movements. Stuttering usually starts between the ages of 2-5. Fluency disorders are observed in five out of every 100 children in the first years of speaking.

Spontaneous recovery is observed at a rate of 70%-80% in early stage stuttering. However, certain risk factors indicate that stuttering will not go away on its own. These risk factors include stuttering lasting longer than 6 months, family history of stuttering, presence of secondary behaviors, awareness of stuttering, and age of onset of stuttering. If you suspect that your child has a fluency disorder, you should definitely consult a language and speech therapist.

Stuttering therapy is planned individually according to the child's age, severity of stuttering and environmental factors. In stuttering therapy, the person's attitudes towards stuttering, as well as the fluency of speech, are the main targets of the therapy. Therefore, family counseling is also at the forefront in childhood stuttering therapy. Stuttering therapy is provided to a wide range of individuals, from childhood to adulthood. The main goals of therapy in adults are to support fluency, as well as to improve the person's attitudes towards stuttering and to eliminate the negative effects of stuttering on quality of life.