10/4/2018 0 Comments diD I stutter?I wanted to start this week with stuttering. This is familiar to all of us, whether are nerves take over onstage or we lose our train of thought. However, stuttering can take over a person's life, causing it to go from a common error to a speech disorder. What is Stuttering?Stuttering is a speech disorder that interrupts the flow of speech, causing disfluencies. However, stuttering can occur without being deemed as a disorder depending on the disfluencies and the frequency at which the stammers occur. Stuttering can be very sporadic, where a person can go from fluent speech one day, to stuttering significantly more the next day. The frequency of stuttering can depend on emotions, environment, and many other factors. Signs & symptomsSince everyone stutters, how can you differentiate between “typical speech” and “atypical speech?” Some disfluencies are linked to normal speech, while other disfluencies are often signs of stuttering. Typical Disfluencies:
What causes it?Stuttering will typical surface between ages two and six years old. During this time, children may also go through times of disfluency; but if stuttering persists after six months, you may want to find treatment. There is not a set cause of where stuttering comes from but some potential factors that may make someone higher at risk include:
The Brain & StutteringPeople who stutter tend to use more of their right brain instead of their left brain for language. As discussed in previous posts, the left brain is the more dominant half for language and speech. However, those with stuttering have different connections along the left motor cortical and sensory regions of the brain. Additionally, the white matter in the left hemisphere of the brain in stuttering adults is said to decrease around the sensorimotor cortex, and brain volume on the right side is said to increase. This idea implies that the brain is rewiring itself by using its right side to compensate for its left. Another study that supports the idea that the right hemisphere of the stuttering brain is required for language was introduced by Martin Sommer. Essentially, fluent speakers and disfluent speakers were asked to tap their fingers in time with clicks that were played through headphones. First, the researchers stimulated the left side of the brain for both groups and found that the fluent group’s tapping became off, while the disfluent group remained unaffected. They then switched the stimulation to the right hemisphere of the brain where the fluent talkers tapped accordingly, while the disfluent taps became off. This study further illustrates the point that the brain in those who stutter is wired differently than fluent speakers, making it hard for those who stutter to convey their thoughts eloquently. Why therapy?If a child of someone you know shows signs of stuttering, especially at a young age, seeking out help can make huge impacts in that person’s life. Factors support the trend toward early intervention for children who show early signs of stuttering. These factors include that a wait and see attitude is more risky than the cost of treatment, recovery rates with treatment routinely exceed the rate of spontaneous recovery, and waiting to initiate treatment for the child who stutters is associated with more time in treatment. Take away 🎈Stuttering is a speech disorder that causes disfluencies. There are certain disfluencies that are linked to normal speech and other disfluencies that may be signs of early stuttering. More research has been found that the brain of a stuttering adult tends to use the right hemisphere for speech as oppose to the left hemisphere. This can cause those who stutter to know exactly what they want to say but struggle to get the words out. Early intervention is shown to be less risky later in life and should be considered if a child persistently stutters. links
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