Chapter 10: Fluency Disorders

Fluency

a term used to characterize the flow of speech during communication

Disfluency

speech behavior that disrupts and fluent flow of speech

• ex) pauses, interjections, revisions

What is a Fluency Disorder?

speech w/ an unusually high rate of stoppages that disrupt the flow of communication

• appropriate for speaker’s: age, culture, & linguistic background

Characteristics of Fluency Disorders

• cause a disturbance in daily activities

• DON’T involve an impairment of language function

• have accompanying language disorders

Core Characteristics

• repetitions

• blocks

• prolongations

Repetition

• sound, syllable, or word is repeated multiple times → disrupts speech

Prolongation

• sound is held longer than normal

  • airflow continues, articulation is stuck

blocks

• airflow/articulatory movement completely stops during production

Secondary Characteristics

results from excessive mental & physical efforts to promote fluent speech

• in response to core behaviors

• avoid disfluency movements

• negative feelings + attitudes

Assisted Recovery

occurs in conjunction w/ treatment

Unassisted Recovery

recovery w/o speech intervention

• possible for both adults & children

• ADULTS → able to change their mindset; eases their transition

Developmental Fluency Disorder

Age: 2-5

AKA: Developmental Stuttering

• the longer a child stutters, the more likely they will be unable to overcome their disorder

Characteristics of Developmental Stuttering

Stuttering-like disfluencies (NOT normal)

• part-word repetitions

• single-syllable repetitions

• sound prolongation

• blocks

• broken words

secondary features can arise

Disfluencies in Children

NORMAL to occur

• interjections, revisions, multi-syllable word repetitions

• no presence of core or secondary characteristics

Acquired Fluency Disorders

Age: can occur @ any time in life

Cause: illness, trauma, accident, psychological trauma

• neurogenic & psychogenic stuttering

Neurogenic Stuttering

Cause: brain injury

• accompanied w/ other disorders of communication

• disfluencies can occur

• secondary features RARELY occur

Psychogenic Stuttering

Cause: psychological trauma

• starts suddenly then stays the same

• can improve w/ counseling & overcoming emotional stress

Cluttering

rapid/unusual rate of speech that results in disfluencies

• lots of articulation errors

• not phoneme specific

Predisposing Factors

AKA: constitutional factors

• family

• gender (boys > gender)

• differences in brain physiology

• motor speech coordination (speech breakdown + timing)

Secondary Features

AKA: Accessory Behaviors

• Escape Behaviors

• Avoidance Behaviors

• Situational Behaviors

Escape Behaviors

Developed in response to stuttering instances

• provide an ‘escape’ bc it is within their control

Occurs during

• a stuttering moment

• ex) eye blinking, filler words, restarting sentences

Avoidance Behaviors

avoiding a sound or phrase altogether

• postponement: pauses prior to a disfluency

• circumlocution: avoid a disfluency by talking around it

Situation Avoidance

avoid situations altogether in which stuttering is possible

• ex) knowing you stutter while ordering food so you avoid going outside to eat