The ability to speak without stuttering is something most people take for granted. Over 70 million people around the world stutter.
This problem affects people of all ages and ethnicities. Some people have suffered from stuttering their entire lives, while some start to stutter one day out of the blue.
If you or someone you love is dealing with a stuttering problem, educating yourself about this speech disorder is crucial. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about stuttering.
Here are some of the most common stuttering misconceptions and the actual truth behind them.
Emotional Instability in the Home Can Cause a Child To Stutter
There are many people that believe that childhood stuttering is caused by either constant fighting in the home or emotional instability.
The reality is that stuttering is mostly a genetic problem and has very little to do with a child’s home environment. However, undue stress can make a child’s stuttering worse over time.
If you have a child that struggles with stuttering, you need to think about doing things like:
- Avoid time pressures
- Being patient is imperative
- Respond in a supportive way to your child’s stuttering
- Seek out the help of a stuttering specialist
By implementing these tips, you can help your child overcome this speech disorder.
Nervousness and Anxiety Cause Stuttering
One of the most common misconceptions about stuttering is that it is caused by nervousness or anxiety. While stress can make a person’s stuttering worse, it is not the root cause of this speech disorder.
In fact, many experts maintain that stuttering is more of a neurological issue.
This is why you need to avoid telling a person to calm down when trying to help them not stutter. Doing this will only put an increased amount of pressure on them and may actually make their stuttering anxiety worse.
Instead of being critical and offering unwarranted advice to a person that stutters, you need to learn how to be patient and encouraging.
Stuttering is a Bad Habit
Some people make the mistake of putting stuttering into the bad habit category. This disorder is nothing like bad habits like cracking your knuckles or biting your nails.
In reality, stuttering is classified as a speech fluency disorder that can’t be controlled. Mutations in multiple genes can result in problems in the speech production and processing parts of the brain.
When people who suffer from stuttering enter therapy, they are taught various speech modification and speech fluency strategies.
The worst thing you can do to a person that stutters is scold or mock them. Being accepting and accommodating to people in your life who stutter can help them feel comfortable speaking around you.
Kids Always Outgrow Stuttering
There is also a misconception that stuttering is something a child will simply outgrow. While there are cases where a person outgrows stuttering, it usually requires years of speech therapy to overcome this disorder.
The key to helping a child overcome this disorder is getting early treatment as soon as their issues with stuttering are discovered.
By learning the truth behind the causes of stuttering, you can get yourself or a loved one the help they need.