Stammering or Stuttering is a speech disorder that affects people of all ages. The Stuttering Foundation of America stated that nearly 70 million people across the world suffer from stuttering. If you are also one among them, then don’t worry. There are several ways to stop stammering. Often, many people ask us how to stop stammering. Therefore, in this blog, we have shared some simple tips to stop stammering or stuttering for kids and adults. Continue reading and learn how to control stammering through stuttering therapy and practice.
What is Stammering?
Stammering is a speech condition in which a person repeats, interrupts, or prolongs sounds, syllables, or words while speaking. It is a speech disorder characterized by blocks of silence, in which the individual struggles to produce sounds while speaking. Stammering is a disfluency, which is also known as stuttering.
Both the words ‘stammer’ and ‘stutter’ refer to disfluent speech. British English speakers predominantly use the word “stammer,” whereas American English speakers primarily use the term “stutter.”
Understand the Causes of Stammering
Why do people stammer? It is mainly because of genetic reasons. Moreover, stammering may be related to stress and anxiety and can occur at any age. When compared to other children, preterm or underweight children are more vulnerable to stuttering. However, school-age children who experience excessive stress or worry about their grades or teenagers who experience future-focused anxiety also suffer from stammering.
Adult stuttering is caused by a variety of factors, including genetics and alcohol addiction. We are aware that the following injuries can produce stuttering:
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
- Stroke
- Degenerative conditions like Multiple Sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease
Know the Different Types of Stuttering
Stuttering is classified into three types.
Developmental Stuttering: It is more common in younger children. This type occurs when a toddler learns to speak. Early treatment may prevent this problem from worsening into adulthood.
Neurogenic Stuttering: It is mostly caused by a head injury or disease of the central nervous system. Other primary reasons for this type of stuttering are stroke, tumors, and certain neurologic illnesses.
Psychogenic Stuttering: This type is uncommon and frequently occurs in individuals who suffer from extreme emotional trauma, stress, or mental health problems.
Treatment Methods for Stuttering
Although stuttering cannot be treated completely, there are a few steps you may take to improve your speech. Mostly, stuttering treatment differs according to the individual’s age and communication goals. The therapies that could be most effective for you or your kid can be determined with the assistance of a speech-language pathologist (SLP). Stuttering support groups might also be beneficial.
Here are various treatment options to control stuttering.
- Stuttering Therapy
- Medications
- Electronic Medical Devices
Learn How to Stop Stammering
We know how the adults and children who stammer feel and that is why we are here to help. If you or your kid suffers from stuttering, then follow these tips to reduce stammering.
Speak Slowly
Attempting to speak more slowly is one of the best strategies for overcoming a stutter. Rushing through an idea can make you stutter, accelerate your speech, or find it difficult to express yourself. So, always take a few deep breaths and talk slowly.
In situations when you often attempt to speak quickly and find yourself agitated, consider speaking more slowly to see if your stutter improves. Practice pausing in the middle of words to slow down your speech. Try uttering a word with a long delay in between sounds if you don’t want to stutter when saying it.
Improve your Speech Fluency
If you feel ashamed or self-conscious about your stuttering, put some effort into improving your speech fluency. Frequent practice will be more beneficial to you.
Here are some tips for practicing your speech:
- Practice breathing and speaking more slowly by placing yourself in a scene where you are talking to someone or giving a speech in front of an audience
- Join a small group of people who stammer and practice speaking with them.
- Read a book aloud or repeat an audiobook to practice your speech. By practicing, you can create successful pronunciation moments.
Practice Breathing and Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a type of meditation that allows you to remain calm and concentrate on your thoughts or a particular action. This can help you relax and reduce your anxiety. Remember, simply by practicing breathing and mindfulness, both adults and children may control stuttering.
Generally, the benefits of deep breathing during meditation can also be applied to stuttering therapy. Furthermore, being more at ease may help you feel more confident, which could lead to better fluency.
The following are some deep breathing techniques.
- Choose a comfortable position to sit or lie down.
- Shut your eyes and concentrate on taking deep breaths in and out.
- Breathe deeply for ten seconds. Breathe from the abdomen and let it to rise on its own.
- Hold for a few seconds to let oxygen fill your lungs.
- With a “whoosh” sound, slowly release the breath through your mouth.
Record your Voice
Would you like to know your speech patterns and manner of speaking? Take your device and record yourself talking or reading. Hearing and analyzing your speech will reveal unconscious tendencies that lead you to stutter.
Most individuals find this idea frightening, however recording your voice allows you to understand your speaking patterns, examine patterns, and make corrections. Furthermore, it enables you to keep a recorded journal of your speaking progress.
Conclusion
If it is difficult for you to follow these tips, book an appointment at Asha Speech and Hearing Clinic. We have well-experienced and certified Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) to provide individualized therapy for speech disorders. Especially, based on the age and communication goals of an individual, our experts will provide the best stuttering therapy after performing an in-depth evaluation and creating an effective treatment plan.