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International Stuttering Awareness Day: Let your voice be heard!

22nd October 2020 is observed as International Stuttering Awareness Day. International Stuttering Awareness Day is intended to raise public awareness of stuttering, which affects one percent of the world’s population.  Stuttering is a speech disorder involving frequent problems with the normal fluency and flow of speech. It’s also called stammering or diffluent speech. In some cases, stuttering completely blocks an individual from producing a sound.

Stuttering is common in children, Stuttering usually starts between two and six years old. Many children go through normal periods of dysfluency lasting for around six months. Dysfluencies lasting longer than this may need intervention. Stuttering can even be seen during adolescence or adulthood. Most children with a stutter grow out of it.

There is no specific cause of stuttering, the probable causes are family history, being in contact with another stutter, imitation, brain differences etc.

There are three types of stuttering:

  • Developmental. Most common in children younger than 5 years old, particularly males, this type occurs as they develop their speech and language abilities. It usually resolves without treatment.
  • Neurogenic. Signal abnormalities between the brain and nerves or muscles cause this type.
  • Psychogenic. This type originates in the part of the brain that governs thinking and reasoning.

Stuttering signs and symptoms may include:

  • Difficulty starting a word, phrase or sentence
  • Prolonging a word or sounds within a word
  • Repetition of a sound, syllable or word
  • Brief silence for certain syllables or words, or pauses within a word (broken word)
  • Excess tension, tightness, or movement of the face or upper body to produce a word
  • Anxiety about talking
  • Limited ability to effectively communicate

The speech difficulties of stuttering may be accompanied by: rapid eye blinks, tremors of the lips or jaw, facial tics, head jerks, clenching fists

 

Keira, age 15, has written a piece for us about how she has managed her stammer growing up:

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