Stuttering awareness day 2018

“People who stutter have the unique ability to teach the world the greatest lesson of all… to simply listen” – unknown

 

Did you know that October 22nd is International Stuttering Awareness day? International Stuttering Awareness day is an opportunity to educate people in the community about stuttering and how it can affect people’s lives. The EST-project team would like to use this day to bust some myths about stuttering. Here we go!

“People who stutter aren’t as smart as people who don’t stutter”

WRONG! – Research has shown that people who stutter are just as intelligent as everyone else!

 

“People who stutter do so because they were tickled too much as children or because their mother was scared during pregnancy”

WRONG! – The exact cause of stuttering is still not known but tickling and fearful expectant mothers are definitely not associated with the cause.

 

“It is helpful to finish sentences for people who stutter so they do not need to keep talking when they are stuttering”

WRONG! – While everyone is different, most people who stutter prefer to speak for themselves (just like everyone else!) and find it frustrating when people interrupt them and finish their sentences for them. So to be a good communication partner, maintain eye contact, give the person you are speaking to as much time as they need to say what they want to say and let them speak for themselves.   

And here are some facts about stuttering. Did you know that:

1. Childhood stuttering is really common! More than 1 in every 10 children stutter during the preschool years.
2. Stuttering affects more boys than girls.
3. Stuttering looks and sounds different in each person. People who stutter can repeat  (sounds, parts of words or whole words), prolong sounds or ‘block’ which is when no sound comes out. Stutters can also be accompanied by secondary, physical behaviors like facial tension, excessive blinking or body movements.
4. The majority of children will grow out of stuttering naturally however we still aren’t able to predict who these children will be which is why early intervention is essential for all children who stutter!

If you think that your child might be stuttering, contact your local SLP to get help. Effective treatments have been developed for preschool age children, school age children and adolescents. Effective treatments are also available for adults who stutter. If you are an adult who stutters, there is great Norwegian interest group called NIFS that you may like to get in contact with http://stamming.no/ Take care and always remember to be a good listener!