Stuttering Fundamentals

identify causes of stuttering

neurologic: differences in brain scans of people who do and don’t stutter

genetic: 60% of people who stutter have a family member who stutters

developmental: children who stutter will most likely stop stuttering

what percent of individuals who stutter have a family member who stutters

60%

Describe if stuttering can be a normal part of child development and if it typically resolves on its own without therapy

yes

Name the two key components that make up stuttering:

1. sensation of being stuck 

2. loss of control 

What perceptual speech characteristics manifests during periods where people who stutter feel they are stuck?

• sound repetitions (r, r ,r , r rabbit)

• sound prolongations (rrrrrrrrrabbit)

• sound blocks (r ___ abit)

A large component of working with individuals who stutter is related to how the loss of control relating from these sensations of being stuck manifest. These include:

1. shame and fear

2. negative thoughts and feelings

3. efforts to control that impede communication - word changing, avoid, muscle tension pushing harder

is there a cure for stuttering 

no lol

What does the majority of stuttering therapy focus on:

improve someone’s comfort with stuttering because it is not curable, so you want them to become okay with this over time, which will in turn improve some of the negative communication effects results from the emotional response (ex body tension).

What are fluency shaping techniques: (there are three)

• easy onset of phonation

• reduce speech rate

• continuous phonation

easy onset of phonation fluency shaping technique 

starting words with a softer onset (vs abrupt) which is less likely to induce a stutter

reduce speech rate fluency shaping technique

talking slower which taxes the speech system less and reduces chances of stuttering

continous phonation fluency shaping techniques

keeping more of an undertone of voicing throughout a phrase so you don’t have the abrupt starts and stops that often initiate a stutter

identify the two primary functions of swallowing 

1. Airway Protection 

2. Bolus Clearance 

what processes are in airway protection

• laryngeal elevation

• anterior laryngeal excursion

what processes facilitate bolus clearance

• soft palate elevation

• tongue base retraction

• pharyngeal stripping wave

• pharyngoesophageal segment opening

what is the pharynx 

the muscular tube that connect the back of the nose and mouth to the esophagus and larynx (voice box) 

what are the two tubes that the pharynx will divide into are leading towards

it divides into the larynx (voice box) and the esophagus (one for air one for food)

what occurs if a person has problems in airway protection

• difficulty breathing

• choking

• gasping

• wheezing

• ASPIRATING

how does the resting state of the UES differ from that of other structures 

at rest its closed not open 

what is an example of sound repetitions (kind of stuttering)

r, r ,r , r rabbit

what is an example of sound prolongations (kind of stuttering)

rrrrrrrrrabbit

what is an example of sound blocks 

r ___ abit