"What? What are you saying there? I don’t understand”: how people who stutter live

What is stuttering

Medicine defines the problem as a speech disorder in which a person often repeats certain words or syllables, pronounces individual sounds in a drawn-out manner, without being able to pronounce them fully. Smoothness, rhythm, and tempo of pronunciation of phrases suffer. Doctors define the disorder by the term “logoneurosis.” According to statistics, it occurs in approximately 2-3% of people, that is, quite common.

Physiological reasons include spasms and convulsions of the muscles responsible for speaking. These disturbances negatively affect breathing, the strength and pitch of spoken sounds. The physiology of this process is similar to hiccups.

Who should I contact?

There are often situations when the patient himself understands that he needs the help of a specialist. However, he has no idea which doctor to see. To do this, you need to carefully monitor the symptoms and act in accordance with them:

• Cardiologist. It is worth contacting him if, along with impaired gait, there is also increased blood pressure or in the presence of diseases of the cardiovascular system.
• Neuropathologist. A neurologist is consulted if a person often experiences stress, nervous or other mental disorders.
• Traumatologist/orthopedist. You have been injured, there is pain in the muscles or joints.
• Surgeon. You should see a surgeon if you receive serious injuries.

If it is impossible to identify the symptoms on your own, you should consult a general practitioner.

Often the cause of symptoms is sought using magnetic resonance imaging. This diagnostic method allows you to identify the cause of the development of pathology, as well as make an accurate diagnosis.

Choosing a clinic is easy to do using the service. A single registration center for MRI or CT allows you to select a medical center based on specified parameters: type of examination, metro station, and also sort the search results by price, rating, work schedule.

Patients have access to online registration through the website or telephone registration with a discount on the study in the amount of up to 1,000 rubles.

At what age does the problem appear?

Most often, a child encounters stuttering at the age of 3-4, when the speech apparatus and psyche are formed. However, logoneurosis can manifest itself at a later age - up to adolescence. The occurrence of a problem in adulthood is an extremely rare occurrence, as it is associated with the formation of the nervous system and speech function of the brain. And this period occurs at the age of 3-6 years. It is noteworthy that the disorder occurs much more often in boys, since the cerebral hemisphere responsible for speech develops more slowly in them.

Statistics

Logoneurosis is considered a problem that arises more often in childhood than in adulthood. According to statistics, around one to three percent of children worldwide stutter. These statistics vary depending on location, age, and nationality.

Boys are four times more likely to develop a stutter than girls. Many people do not know what logoneurosis is and whether they have it, since the pathology can manifest itself in a milder form.

It has been proven that stuttering in adults, which they suffer from since childhood, is much more common in people who grew up in orphanages and boarding schools. It is obvious that early separation from parents and an unfavorable social climate affect the further psychological state and development of a person.

Also, people living in villages and towns are less susceptible to speech defects than those living in a metropolis. This is due to the calm environment. Adults who stutter account for only 1% of the population, which indicates the successful treatment of this pathology.

Siblings adopt this disorder in 18% of cases. Moreover, stuttering occurs in 32% of dizygotic twins, and in 77% of monozygotic twins.

What can cause a child to stutter?

Organic causes

A number of reasons are associated with problems of early development and organic lesions of the nervous system:

• genetic predisposition;
• injuries during childbirth;
• intrauterine development disorders;
• infections that the mother suffered during pregnancy;
• diseases associated with metabolism in a pregnant mother;
• frequent ENT diseases of a child in the first 3 years of life.

In these cases, curing stuttering in a child is problematic. After all, it is caused by physiological abnormalities in the development of the nervous system. Children may have impaired reflexes, a tendency to seizures, and surges in intracranial pressure. Problems can be corrected with the help of medications that are selected by the doctor.

Acquired reasons

Basically, they are associated with stress and neuroses, due to which the child may begin to stutter. Most often this happens at 4-5 years of age, when the nervous system is most susceptible to external factors. Doctors include these:

• strong and frequent quarrels;
• life changes (for example, starting kindergarten);
• unfavorable atmosphere in the family;
• sharp fear;
• excessive intellectual stress;
• emotional turmoil;
• disordered life, child's daily routine.

Often, a child begins to stutter during the period of mastering his native language, when parents begin to intensively engage in its development. The brain does not have time to perceive the entire mass of information, especially if learning a foreign language is also added to the native language. Therefore, during any intellectual activities with your baby, it is important not to overload him. Particular attention should be paid to emotional children.

According to statistics, more than 80% of stuttering cases have acquired causes. Such children do not have any physiological abnormalities, and speech disorders can be corrected quite well.

Doctor's help

It is impossible to make a diagnosis yourself when it sways from one side to the other. This is done exclusively by specialists. To begin with, doctors monitor the patient’s movements using the following methods:

• observation of movements directed forward with the face and forward with the back;
• doctors watch how the patient moves in a straight line with his right and left sides;
• alternate change of step rhythm;
• comparison of walking with eyes closed and with eyes open;
• watching a person climb stairs;
• movement around an object (for example, a chair);
• making turns while driving;
• It is also suggested to walk on your toes and heels.

Based on the results, the doctor prescribes further examination and treatment:

• undergoing magnetic resonance imaging;
• X-ray;
• CT scan;
• blood donation (general analysis and biochemical);
• A biopsy of muscle tissue is performed.

In addition, the patient should be examined by other doctors:

• ENT;
• ophthalmologist;
• endocrinologist

After going through all the stages, the doctor can diagnose the patient and prescribe the necessary treatment.

You should turn to traditional medicine only after examination and consultation with a doctor.

Any medications are prescribed only by a certified specialist! All drugs are prescribed based on the individual characteristics of each organism. Medicines that help one person can cause irreparable harm to another.

How can you tell if your child has a speech disorder?

The easiest way to treat stuttering is when it is discovered at a very early stage, before the brain has yet “fixed” the speech defect, before it turns into a reflex and affects the child’s psyche. Therefore, when he turns 3-4 years old, we recommend paying attention to the following points:

• when pronouncing phrases, the child stops, breathes quickly, as if gathering strength;
• stammers, repeats the same syllables and words;
• pronounces additional sounds before the phrase (i, a, e);
• refuses to speak at all, becomes abruptly silent;
• becomes withdrawn.

Any of these symptoms is a reason to consult a doctor. The sooner you do this, the faster and without consequences the problem will be solved.

If you think your child stutters

If your child has difficulty speaking or repeats certain syllables, words or phrases, we can assume that he has a stutter. This may be a temporary change in the normal rate of speech that all children go through when learning to speak.

This article will help you understand the difference between normal speech development and stuttering.

Normal speech rate disorder in a child

In this case, the child repeats syllables or words only once, approximately like this. Loss of fluency of speech may also manifest itself in some difficulties at the beginning of speech and the filling of speech pauses with sounds such as “uh...”, “mmm...”. Impaired speech tempo appears between the ages of one and a half to five years. Then fluency of speech is restored. This usually means that the child is learning to use the language system in new situations.

If the loss of fluency goes away and then returns over time, it means your child is going through a new stage of speech development.

A child with a mild stutter

In this case, the child repeats syllables or words more than two times, like this. The resulting tension becomes noticeable, especially in the facial muscles and in the muscles around the mouth.

Along with repetitions, the pitch of the voice may change. Sometimes the child will experience a so-called “stupor” - lack of air or voice for several seconds.

Fluency disorder may come and go, but stuttering is always present.

Try talking to your child slowly and calmly. Teach other family members to do this. You cannot speak unnaturally slowly. Keep your speech leisurely with plenty of pauses.

Slow and calm speech is especially effective when one parent devotes time to the child every day. A few minutes of communication, when the child tells you everything that is on his mind, should become a mandatory daily event.

When your child talks to you or asks you a question, be sure to pause briefly before answering. This will help make your child's speech calmer and less rushed.

Try not to get upset or annoyed by your child's stuttering speech. Remember, he is trying and learning new speech skills just like other children. Your patience and understanding will greatly help him.

Slight repetition or prolongation of sounds is the mildest form of stuttering. It is better to talk like this than to stutter too much and avoid pronouncing certain words.

If your child gets upset when his stuttering gets worse from time to time, reassure him. Some children find it helpful to say, “I know it's hard to talk sometimes... but a lot of people get stuck on words... that's normal...”. Other children can be calmed by a hug or touch when they are upset.

Child with severe stuttering

If your child has more than 10% stuttering in his speech and he pronounces sounds with significant effort and tension, or avoids pronouncing some words, and also uses additional sounds to say something, it is better to contact a stuttering specialist and take a course of correction.

The so-called stupor in speech occurs more often than just repetition or prolongation of sounds. Loss of fluency of speech manifests itself in particularly significant situations.

Contact a neurologist or speech therapist at the clinic to receive a referral for treatment. A speech therapist must have a certificate that gives him the right to correct stuttering.

These recommendations are also mandatory for children with mild stuttering. Remember that slowing down your own speech is much more beneficial for the child than asking you to speak more slowly.

Encourage your child to try to talk to you about stuttering. Be sensitive and patient at this moment. Often, when stuttering, fear of speech plays a greater role in its manifestation than the regularity of stuttering and stopping in speech.

The author of the translation is Shamardina Anastasia - speech therapist-defectologist

Which doctor treats stuttering?

Speech therapist

If no physiological abnormalities are found in the child, the next step is to contact a speech therapist. This specialist specializes in the correction of speech defects and will help the child learn to correctly pronounce sounds that he cannot comprehend. The speech therapist will determine the nature of stuttering - it can be tonic (drawn-out main sounds) and clonic (stammers on consonants). And then he will choose the optimal treatment method.

• It will teach you to breathe evenly so that your breathing does not falter and remains even throughout the entire phrase.
• Place pauses to save speech effort and relieve muscle spasms.
• Form sounds using the speech apparatus: larynx, tongue, teeth, lips.

The specialist works to ensure that the baby overcomes the weakness of the articulatory (speech) apparatus. To do this, the speech therapist will develop certain muscles, for example, the larynx, neck.

Psychologist

However, in most cases, its work alone is not enough. The causes of stuttering are inextricably linked with psychological problems. They need to be corrected no less than speech. Therefore, we recommend that you also contact a psychologist. Visits to this specialist may be even more effective than visits to a speech therapist.

Muscle spasms are often associated with nervous tension and an inability to relax emotionally. Therefore, this doctor will work with a stuttering child in the following areas:

• Teaches you how to behave competently in stressful situations.
• Relax and rest.
• Control your emotions.
• Overcome your fears.
• Contact with peers.
• Express yourself through creativity and communication.

There are a huge variety of methods for psychologists to work with children who stutter. For kids, this may be the development of fine motor skills, for older children - listening to recordings of their own speech with its subsequent correction.

Specialists

Treatments for stuttering in children and adults are similar. Depending on the determination of the cause of the speech defect, the attending physician is appointed. There are several of them, sometimes two or more specialists deal with one patient.

• A neurologist and psychiatrist prescribe medication to solve the problem of stuttering.
• The psychotherapist prescribes psychotherapy depending on the characteristics of the person: hypnotization, training.
• A psychologist studies psychosomatics and human personality. First, the patient is removed from the psychological barrier. He is trained to be in society and make decisions in stressful situations.

A speech therapist is a specialist who corrects speech in parallel with the provision of assistance by another specialist. It helps improve speech, use breathing exercises, and pronounce letters and sounds.

The goal of his therapy is not to correct incorrect pronunciation, but to help in realizing that words can be constructed easily in a sentence, regardless of pathology. The patient reduces his fear of stuttering.

An acupuncturist works to improve blood circulation. The sessions used are responsible for a specific organ; in general, the technique helps with mild stages of stuttering. Stuttering is a fairly rare occurrence and can take a long time to correct. If you start to fight the pathology in time and diagnose the correct factor in the development of the problem, then the chances of getting rid of this speech disorder increase sharply.

What should parents do at home?

It is ineffective to cure logoneurosis without the help of parents at home, since the main support should come from them. Therefore, get ready for the fact that you will also have to contact a psychologist and learn from him. To correct psychological problems in a child, you need to change your daily routine and lifestyle at home. The best way to prevent stuttering is to avoid situations that make it worse.

Mode

Organize your daily routine so that periods of intellectual and emotional stress alternate with proper rest and relaxation.

Dream

Children must sleep at least 8 hours a day, so you need to organize your daily life, home space, and sound atmosphere in such a way as to ensure this minimum.

Intonation

The baby should feel the confidence and calmness coming from the parents, so you need to address him slowly, quietly, calmly, without interrupting him. It is important to explain to loved ones that this is exactly what needs to be done.

Praise

Develop your baby's self-confidence by praising him for any success. Create situations in which he could show his best side. However, praise for success should not be confused with pampering.

Situation

In family relationships, quarrels should remain prohibited. It is impossible to cure a child and prevent stuttering in an aggressive and tense atmosphere. The same applies to visiting noisy companies or places.

Leisure

Limit watching programs, movies, cartoons or games that cause emotional overstimulation. Leisure should be calm, aimed at developing creative abilities.

Communication

Gradually and delicately expand your child's social circle by inviting him to visit public places that do not evoke strong emotions. Introduce him to interesting people. They will help him adapt to the outside world.

Activity

Dosed physical activity has a positive effect on the nervous system, as well as muscle development. Therefore, physical education, swimming, running, just walking, playing in the fresh air should become the norm.

Restrictions

Under no circumstances use punishments that can have a negative impact on children's emotions (punishments should also be calm, no matter what offense the child commits). It is strictly forbidden to leave a child alone in a dark room.

What should adults say?

To prevent relapses of speech disorders (and they may well occur), you as parents need to change or carefully monitor your own speech. This applies to your conversations with each other. Children actively perceive the conversation around them and unconsciously imitate it:

• Speak clearly, intelligibly, without mistakes and without rushing.
• Try to pronounce the phrase a little slower than usual.
• Avoid complex words that are incomprehensible to the baby.
• Various “scary” topics of conversation are taboo.
• It is not recommended to speak in syllables or sing phrases.

Try to get your baby to make friends with balanced children who have well-developed speech. If his speech activity is too high, artificially limit it by giving him the opportunity to silently play alone with himself for some time. Try to get your child to listen more than talk.

How and why does stuttering occur?

The mechanism of stuttering is still not fully understood. In the literature it is described as follows.

• For a number of reasons, Broca's speech center becomes excited and begins to work faster than usual. As a result, the speech circle opens. This means that the connection between the centers where speech is formed is disrupted.
• Overexcitation is transmitted to other areas of the cerebral cortex responsible for motor activity.
• As a result, the muscles of the speech organs (tongue, lips) cramp. Sometimes the spasm affects not only the pronunciation muscles, but also the respiratory muscles.
• Then the work of Broca's center returns to normal, and the speech circle closes again.

In most cases, difficulties arise with the pronunciation of consonant sounds, as they require more effort. The hardest part for a person is the beginning or middle of a phrase. Sometimes a cramp reduces not only the speech muscles, but also the muscles of the arms, legs, and face. Men are most susceptible to the appearance of logoneurosis, since their left hemisphere, where Broca's center is located, is usually less developed than in women. Also, stuttering usually manifests itself in people whose blood relatives suffer from the same disorder. If speech centers are weak from birth, then any unfavorable factors can easily disrupt their work.

Experts identify the following reasons for the development of logoneurosis:

• Severe stress - loss of loved ones, emergency, natural disasters, accidents, military operations, constant scandals at home. Due to emotional overload, disturbances occur in the coordinated functioning of the muscles that are responsible for sound pronunciation.
• Diseases of the central nervous system - this can include skull injuries, severe infections affecting the brain, previous strokes, any neoplasms that put pressure on the speech centers. All this interferes with the normal transmission of impulses from the brain along nerve fibers to the muscles.

In the latter case, logoneurosis has nothing to do with emotions. In other words, a person stutters even if he is in a calm environment.

These reasons in themselves do not lead to stuttering. In essence, they are triggers. Whether a person starts to stutter or not depends largely on the state of the central nervous system. If she is strong and relatively healthy, then this will not happen. If the central nervous system is weakened, then stuttering is likely to develop.

What to do to get rid of stuttering

Many celebrities have overcome stuttering. It is now difficult to believe that Elvis Presley, Bruce Willis, and Winston Churchill suffered from this defect. You can get rid of it forever. Your child can do this, no matter what speech defect he or she has. However, this requires serious effort, perseverance, and patience.

Here are the elements on which your success should rest:

• Emotional calm.
• Correct speech construction.
• Organization of the child's daily life.
• Thoughtful daily routine.
• Regular sessions with a speech therapist and psychologist.

The main thing is to practice regularly and not lose control of the problem.

How many people stutter?

– According to one study, approximately every hundred people stutter to a greater or lesser extent. And this is approximately 75 million people on planet Earth!

Some stuttered in childhood, while others do not admit to themselves this feature.

By the way, for a logoneurotic person, hiding from oneself and society is a normal topic. For a very long time I myself did not recognize myself as a stutterer and considered this term offensive.

By the way, stuttering occurs more often in guys, and girls stutter less often. And, as a rule, these girls have more masculine character traits.

This is from my own observations, which I associate with differences in the activity of the brain hemispheres of different sexes. Although there is no exact data, as well as full-scale studies.