How to Stop Stuttering: Expert Advice for All Ages
Stuttering can impact people of all ages. According to the Stuttering Foundation of America, seventy million people worldwide stutter, and over three million people in the United States stutter.
Some children and adults who stutter avoid speaking situations because they feel self-conscious or insecure.
We are often asked how to stop stuttering. While it's possible to stop, it’s not a guarantee. However, you or your child can learn how to control your stutter through stuttering therapy and practice.
In this article, we explain:
Stammer vs. Stutter: What is the Difference?
What are the Types of Stuttering?
5 Ways Adults Can Control Stuttering
3 Tips to Help a Child with Stuttering
What is Stuttering?
Stuttering is a speech disorder composed of blocks of silence, called "stutters," where the individual has difficulty producing sounds during speech. It can be characterized by repetitions of words, syllables, sounds, prolongations (drawing out a sound), or abnormal stoppages (no sound). In a broader sense, stuttering is a disfluency, sometimes referred to as stammering.
Stammer vs. Stutter: What is the Difference?
The words stutter and stammer are synonymous. Both terms describe disfluent speech or when the natural flow of speech is interrupted. The term “stammer” is used predominantly by British English speakers, whereas “stutter” is mainly used by American English speakers. Stutter has taken over stammer as the most commonly used term to describe disfluent speech.
What Causes Stuttering?
Why do people stutter in the first place? Stuttering is likely genetic, may be tied to stress and anxiety, and can develop at any age. Children born prematurely or underweight are more at risk than other children. Still, it can also start in school-age children if they're under too much pressure or worry about their grades or adolescents who are worried about the future.
What causes stuttering in adults? The causes of adult stuttering are not always known, but genetic factors and alcohol abuse could be contributors. We do know that the following injuries can cause stuttering:
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Degenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis
What are the Types of Stuttering?
Three primary forms exist:
1) Developmental Stuttering
In younger children, developmental stuttering is the most common. Stuttering begins as the child is developing language. Early treatment can prevent the issue from persisting into adulthood.
2) Neurogenic Stuttering
Injury or disease to the central nervous system can cause stuttering. Stroke, head injury, tumors, or neurologic diseases can cause this form of stuttering.
3) Psychogenic Stuttering
This type is rare, and it's often seen in adults who have suffered severe emotional trauma, stress, or mental health issues.
5 Ways Adults Can Control Stuttering
1) BREATHING PRACTICE
Breathing is vital to the way you speak, and many people never learn to focus on their breathing. Meditation practitioners teach students how to slow and focus on their breathing because it helps them:
Be in the present moment.
Reduce stress.
Clear the mind.
The benefits you gain from taking deep breaths during meditation also apply to stuttering therapy. For some people, becoming more relaxed can help boost confidence, which may result in improved fluency.
Deep breathing techniques:
Sit or lay down in a comfortable position.
Close your eyes and focus on making a deep breath as you inhale and exhale.
Take a deep breath for 10 seconds. Breathe from the abdomen, letting it rise naturally.
Hold for a few seconds to allow oxygen to fill up your lungs.
Exhale slowly through the mouth, making a "whoosh" sound.
2) SLOW IT DOWN
If you stutter when speaking quickly and want to convey a thought rapidly, one method of improved control that works very well is to slow down. Rushing can lead to difficulty getting the problematic words out.
You'll want to work on speaking slowly and in a controlled way. If you find yourself worked up and in a situation where you usually try to talk fast, remember to slow down to see if the stutter gets any better.
It may help to do a series of drills where you speak very slowly. Practice taking breaks in the middle of saying a word to remind yourself to slow down. If you want to say a word with a stutter, try saying it with a long pause in-between sounds.
3) PAUSE AND PHRASE
One powerful form of fluency shaping is to pause and phrase what you're going to say. The goal is often to lengthen your natural pauses and increase the number of breaks you have between words and phrases.
You can practice this technique while reading aloud, pausing every few words. The simple act of pausing before saying the next word can be used as an opportunity to plan or to regroup and allow the stuttering moment and related tension to pass.
4) RECORD YOUR OWN VOICE TALKING OR READING
Do you want to gain awareness of the way that you talk and your speech patterns? Record yourself. The thought is scary for most people, but when you record your voice, you're able to:
Learn your speech patterns.
Study patterns and make adjustments.
Keep a recorded journal of your speech progression.
You can open up your device and record yourself speaking to practice this method of therapy. By hearing and analyzing your speech, you'll often find unconscious patterns that cause you to stutter.
5) PRACTICE YOUR SPEECH FLUENCY
If you're self-conscious or embarrassed about your stuttering, practicing your speech may be the last thing on your mind. But when you sit down and practice, you're helping build strong connections in the brain so that the corrective actions you take actually "stick."
A few tips for practicing your speech are:
Put yourself into situations where you're talking to another person or public speaking and practice breathing and slowing down your speech.
Work with others to practice speaking together and keep each other accountable.
You can practice your speech by reading a book aloud, or you can choose to repeat after an audiobook. Practicing allows you to create these positive moments in your pronunciation to build off of.
3 Tips to Help a Child with Stuttering
1) PROVIDE SUPPORT
Speech therapy for children typically involves parental support. Parents should spend one-on-one time daily with their children and follow their lead during conversation or play.
Children have many words and thoughts, so avoid interrupting your child and let them finish their sentence. Do not finish their sentences for them. Try asking closed-ended questions (questions that require a yes or no response) when you observe that the child is struggling to speak.
Encourage your child to express their thoughts and feelings about stuttering and motivate them to express self-confidence and positive self-talk.
2) TEACH CHILDREN TO SLOW DOWN THEIR SPEECH
Parents can show children how to make technical changes in their speech sounds to reduce stuttering. A speech therapist can select specific techniques to help your child improve their fluency if evidence-based and appropriate for their age and abilities.
One approach that can often help is modeling a physically relaxed and slower rate of speech. Parents can show their children how to reduce their speech rate by conversing with them slowly and comfortably.
Parents can insert pauses during every few words of speech. The goal is that the child will see that the parent's speech is free of anxiety, tension, and struggle and model this behavior.
3) STAY POSITIVE
Parents should model objective and calm responses to their child's stuttered speech and show them that they accept their child's level of stuttering. Parents can say something like, "That was a bit hard to say, but it's ok!" This response also shows the child that their problem is not permanent and lets them understand there is room for growth and improvement.
Stuttering is not anyone's fault. Parents should realize that stuttering does not stem from laziness, stubbornness, selfishness, carelessness, etc. Everyone who stutters knows this stuff already, so parents do not need to point it out. For example, saying, "You could say it if you tried harder," will not help your child feel better about themselves.
Parents should let their children know that stuttering is frustrating, but do not let the child get so caught up in negative emotions that it affects their speech. If you are upset with your child for stuttering, your child may be too afraid to speak around you or will not want to talk at all. Praising your child for their calmness and ability to speak well despite the stuttering will help them feel empowered.
When to Contact a Speech-Language Pathologist
There are several signs that you should look for when deciding whether or not to get an evaluation.
For Children:
If your child's stuttering is getting worse over time and continues longer than a few months.
If your child is consistently stuttering after the age of three.
If you notice your child avoiding social situations or talking with other people.
For Adults:
If the stutter begins after an acute episode.
If your stuttering causes you anxiety or other emotional difficulties, such as fear or avoidance of speaking situations.
If you aren't able to overcome your stutter on your own and it impacts your quality of life.
Other Resources to Consider
Electronic Devices
There are many technological solutions available to support individuals in improving their fluency and reducing their stutter. Some apps and software help people slow down their speech by assisting them. Others simulate speech so that it appears the speaker is speaking in sync with someone else.
Medications
Doctors may prescribe the following medicines:
alprazolam (Xanax) - an anti-anxiety drug
citalopram (Celexa) - antidepressant
clomipramine (Anafranil) - antidepressant
The Stuttering Foundation does not advise these drugs since they are believed to be ineffective for most people. People report that even when they do work, the benefits are modest.
Support Groups
Many individuals find that connecting with others who stutter is beneficial. Self-help organizations provide individuals with more resources and support. Joining groups on social media sites can be a helpful practice.
Online Speech Therapy - Connected Speech Pathology
Speech therapy involves working with a licensed speech-language pathologist who can provide the treatment approaches you need to improve your fluency. Therapy sessions can help bring awareness to stuttering moments, reduce disfluency, and treat many secondary behaviors.
At Connected Speech Pathology, we're certified experts who offer online, individualized therapy for speech and language disorders.
We approach our younger clients differently than older children and adults.
Therapy for youngsters will be fun, and we will collaborate with the child's caregivers to get the most out of the treatment.
For teenagers and adults, speech therapy aims to increase fluency. Our speech-language pathologists can help you relax and speak more freely in school, work, and social settings. We also assist those who stutter in speaking situations that cause anxiety, such as calling a friend or dining in a restaurant.
Let us know if you or your loved one wants to learn from a speech-language pathologist how to manage your stuttering! Our highly experienced speech-language pathologists will perform a comprehensive assessment and create a clear and effective treatment plan specifically for you.
About the Author
Allison Geller is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and the owner of Connected Speech Pathology. She obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Florida in Speech-Language Pathology. Allison has practiced speech therapy in a number of settings including telepractice, acute care, outpatient rehabilitation, and private practice. She has worked extensively with individuals across the lifespan including toddlers, preschoolers, school-aged children, and adults. She specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of a variety of communication disorders including receptive/expressive language disorders, articulation disorders, voice disorders, fluency disorders, brain injury, and swallowing disorders.
Allison served as the clinical coordinator of research in aphasia in the Neurological Institute at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. She is on the Board of Directors for the Corporate Speech Pathology Network (CORSPAN), a Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) certified clinician, and a proud Family Empowerment Scholarship/Step-Up For Students provider. Allison is passionate about delivering high quality-effective treatment remotely because it’s convenient and easy to access. What sets us apart from other online speech therapy options is—Allison takes great care to hire the very best SLPs from all over the country.
Do you have questions or want to learn more about our program? Set up a free phone consultation with our lead speech-language pathologist.
