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Types of Stuttering

Stuttering, also referred to as stammering, is a speech disorder characterized by involuntary disruptions to the flow of speech by prolonged speech sounds, syllables or words. While most commonly thought of as the involuntary repetition of sounds, stuttering also includes abnormal pauses before speaking -- called blocks -- and the prolongation of certain sounds involuntarily. The severity of stuttering varies greatly, with some individuals exhibiting only an aesthetic difference in the way they speak, while others stutter to the point that it prevents oral communication altogether. Stuttering is classified into basic types according to the origins of the speech disorder.

  1. Developmental Stuttering

    • The most common form of stuttering occurs in children and is thought to be developmental, or a natural part of the speech development process. Young children, primarily between the ages of 2 and 6, will often run up against verbal deficiencies as they attempt to express themselves. This can result in stuttering or stammering as the child searches for the right word. Boys are more likely to exhibit developmental stuttering than girls. Nevertheless, this is usually outgrown as verbal abilities begin to match the demands of everyday speech.

    Neurogenic Stuttering

    • Another common type of stuttering is neurogenic. This occurs when signals between the brain, the nervous system and muscles are disrupted. Speech is a complex coordination of muscle movements involving breathing; phonation, the sound produced by vocal cords; and articulation by the throat, palate and mouth muscles. Neurogenic stuttering occurs when the brain is unable to properly coordinate these complex actions. The most common cause of neurogenic stuttering is brain injury, such as by a stroke, or nerve damage and can occur with varying severity.

    Psychogenic Stuttering

    • Stuttering that is not seen as developmental or neurogenic in origin is classified as psychogenic, or originating in the mind or mental activity. It was once thought that most cases of stuttering were psychogenic; however, it is now believed that these only comprise a minority of cases. While there are common emotional problems associated with stuttering, such as fear of public speaking, meeting strangers or talking on the telephone, these are thought to be caused by the speech disorder itself and are not characteristic of a larger psychological disorder.

      Psychogenic stuttering, while rare, does occur. Certain types of mental illness or extreme psychological trauma can cause stuttering in adults. Nevertheless, the theory that parental behavior, such as reacting negatively or harshly punishing a child's speech disfluencies can cause stuttering has been disproven.

    Genetic Causes of Stuttering

    • It has long been suspected that genetics plays a role in the development of speech disorders like stuttering. As stuttering often runs in families, there is empirical evidence that suggests that genetics plays a significant role. Despite this, in studies of hereditary stuttering it is usually difficult to separate genetic and environmental factors and, for this reason, the evidence remains ambiguous. Further, while stuttering has been linked to certain genes, a genetic cause for stuttering has yet to be proven.

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