Fluency Disorder

Fluency Disorder is a term collectively used for disorders such as Stuttering and Cluttering. These are speech disorders characterized by disruptions or “disfluencies” in the normal flow of speech. The frequency, duration, type and severity of disfluencies vary greatly from person to person and from situation to situation.

Causes

Stuttering can affect people of all ages. The exact cause of stuttering is unknown. However, several factors are likely to contribute to Stuttering such as speech-language developmental delays, genetics, neurophysiology and environmental factors. A combination of these factors may contribute to onset of Stuttering. The causes may vary in different people. However, it is probable that what causes Stuttering may differ from what continues it or makes it worse.

It occurs most often in children between the ages of 2 - 5 years when they are developing their language skills. If not treated, it may continue through teens and adulthood. On other hand, Neurogenic Stuttering may occur after a stroke, head trauma or other type of brain injury.

Signs and Symptoms:

The symptoms vary for different individuals. However, some of the most commonly observed signs and symptoms are repetitions of words or parts of words, as well as prolongations of speech sounds. Some people who stutter appear very tense or "out of breath" when talking. Speech may become completely stopped or blocked; with little or no sound forthcoming. These speech disruptions may also be accompanied by struggling behaviors, such as rapid eye blinks or tremors of the lips and jaw. Besides the physical tension in speech muscles, the individuals may also experience embarrassment, anxiety and fear of speaking.

Evaluation and Treatment:

At Let's Talk Speech Therapy, Ms. Kothari will assess a variety of factors including the history, presenting stuttering behaviors and speech and language abilities. The nature of the treatment will differ based upon a person’s age, communication goals and presenting symptoms.

Early intervention is the most effective way to help children overcome their speaking difficulties, so it is important for parents and pediatricians to seek an evaluation at Let’s Talk Speech Therapy, as soon as they become concerned about a child’s stuttering. School-age children, adolescents and adults can also significantly benefit from speech therapy. Therapy is focused on learning how to manage stuttering, increase speech fluency, and improve self-esteem and self-confidence.