“He knows what he wants to say, he just needs more time”

Many of us stumble from time to time while speaking and have surely struggled to pronounce a word at some point. A small inconvenience that goes away immediately. But this has nothing to do with stuttering, a disorder from which, although it is often associated only with children, since it usually appears between three and five and a half years of age, some adults can also suffer from it. In Spain, around 1% of the population stutters, which affects their self-confidence and, in many cases, impairs their communication skills and makes their social and professional environment uncomfortable.

We are facing a “neurodevelopmental and speech fluency disorder that interrupts the natural flow of speech,” explains Sara Berger, a speech therapist specializing in stuttering. These interruptions often manifest themselves as “repetitions of sounds, syllables or words, prolongations of sounds or blockages in which the flow of air and words momentarily stops,” Berger says.

Stuttering in adults: subtle differences in the brain

Even if stuttering does not affect everyone in the same way, “there are common characteristics, even if its manifestation is different in each person,” specifies the expert. Some have more blocks, while in others repetitions or extensions are more common. And although stuttering is not cured, fluctuations appear over time, that is, “the same person may go through periods with more or less stuttering. And one of the most important characteristics of stuttering is its variability,” says Berger.

What happens when a person stutters? This difficulty involves a “momentary loss of control: the person knows what they want to say, but they cannot get the words out as they hoped,” explains Berger.

If we wonder about the causes of stuttering, the speech therapist speaks of “a deficit in the planning or execution of the motor act of speech, with multifactorial causes, but with a strong correlation with genetics”. Studies show that people who stutter have subtle differences in neurological underpinnings, as many stuttering-related genes have been identified that influence brain development and function.

This is why it is called a neurodevelopmental disorder, with implications for how the brain coordinates many different processes simultaneously to communicate effectively. It is this genetic component that affects the development and functioning of the brain areas involved in speech. “Depending on the type of genetic mutation, stuttering can manifest itself in different ways: we speak of subtypes, which also explains the great variability between people,” explains Berger.

This destroys the idea that behind stuttering there is a psychological cause, motivated by stress, anxiety or traumatic situations. “Anxiety, stress or low self-esteem do not cause stuttering, but they can be a consequence of it. »

What has been shown is that this speech disorder is a communication and social problem that can impact emotional health and various aspects of adults’ lives. Therefore, in most cases, daily activities, such as making a simple phone call or speaking in front of other people, are affected.

“Over time, these negative experiences lead to the anticipation of difficulties and the development of avoidance or combat behaviors, such as forcing words, adding sounds or movements, avoiding certain words or situations, looking away, tensing the body or even avoiding speaking in important moments,” explains Berger, who concludes that “these experiences can generate fear, shame, frustration, anger or guilt”.

How Stuttering is Treated

Stuttering is not a psychological problem, but rather it is more complex and each person experiences it differently. Therefore, although it can be treated, it is not “curable in the traditional sense, but it can improve significantly with the intervention of a specialized speech therapist,” explains Berger.

Like any other speech disorder, its treatment or control requires therapy and practice. And while there’s no magic pill to stop it, there are effective tools, like working with a speech therapist. In this sense, Berger states that therapy can help:

“The main goal is for the person to be able to communicate more freely, more calmly and more effectively, thereby reducing the emotional and social impact of stuttering,” concludes Berger.

How can we be good listeners

If we find ourselves in a conversation with someone who stutters, we must treat the situation as we would anyone else. The best help we can give is to listen.

Berger gives us some recommendations to help a person who stutters:

“The person knows exactly what they want to say. They just need a little more time to express it,” Berger explains.