Do some adults "outgrow" their stutter?

 This is a very complex disorder with neurological and psychological components. We tend to bunch the disorder into two broad categories: "developmental" (from childhood) and "neurogenic" (due to accidental neurological damage), but the disorder manifest itself with very different degrees of severity and possibly life courses. It is a simple fact that aging can affect both neurology and psychology of individuals, and it can provide the time to work on ways to adapt to the problem. I have worked on my stutter and I coach people on approaches that have been helpful to me. I stutter rarely right now (and I am "old"). That being said I cannot say for sure that my recovery was NOT due simply to aging. Chances are it was a combination of both aging and working on it.... Bottom line: It is possible that some will simply "outgrow" stuttering in adulthood, as most kids do, but that's certainly not an outcome that can be relied on for most stutterers, unfortunately.

Stuttering while praying and other "special" situations

Stuttering is situational, and different situations affect us differently, but I think it is clear that words that come from memory and with a rhythm (such as in singing and poetry) are processed differently in the brain, and in ways that, for most of us, "bypass" the areas that are vulnerable to stuttering. This is very different from formulating new thoughts and expressing them in new language "on the fly". I have never heard of any stutterer having issues with singing. Poetry, acting, praying, reading, reading in a "chorus", etc. can affect stutterers differently. We all have a vast range of experiences in these areas. Again all these activities are processed in the brain in ways that differ from spontaneous and situational speech.

Are there animals that "stutter"?

My guess is that there should be some kind of symbolic content in the communication, as in patterns of sounds (like words) having a "meaning" as opposed to being purely emotive sounds (like a bark). And there needs to be a specific thought formulation that "plans" on the "word" being produced. It's possible that whales, dolphins, and some primates are at that level. If so, it's not inconceivable that they might experience stuttering. This is pure conjecture on my part. It's actually an interesting question. At some point while at NASA I proposed building a speech producing mechanism that actually simulated the coordination of human speech. My idea was to be able to tweak parameters to make the system "stutter". I tried to sell the idea as a form of human-like robotic speech.

Sometimes it's OK to "give up"... (pause)

We can get into a negative feedback loop (block - emotional reaction - deeper block --- more reaction --- even deeper block...) when our cerebral cortex is essentially "paralyzed" and unable to exert any kind of control we might have learned in therapy. When that happens (and for some of us that's unfortunately not infrequent), it is good to STOP, reset, consciously pause, and regain our bearings and ability to exert some control. In time, the process of "stopping" and "resetting" can become fast enough to be unnoticed. The issue of helpful pausing is covered in my audio course.

Is stuttering "mental"

 If by "mental" one means that there is a psychological component to stuttering, I think that is abundantly clear. Yet that is not incompatible with a very likely "original" neurophysiological issue. The combination of both to various degrees, determines the differences among stutterers. Addressing the psychology, together with specific speech therapy, is a path to improvement although there is no ultimate "cure".

Could amnesia eliminate stuttering?

Thus is an important question that relates to how stuttering is dependent on formed memories. To the extent that our stutter is triggered or made worse by anxiety about past instances, we might be left with what the original neurological problem was, and, at least for a while, the stutter might be lessened... until the whole "stuttering framework" is rebuilt. Does anybody know of any study on amnesia in stutterers? I am also asking myself if the opposite might be true for folks who have been able to build GOOD adaptive behaviors around the onset of blocks etc. (I *might* be in that category...) Would amnesia make me forget how I learned to deal with blocks and send me back to my youthful stuttering patterns? 

About insensitive comments

It's important to note that most fluent people simply do not understand what is going on. That can result in reactions that are insensitive and demeaning. It's incumbent on us to let them know (even if that involves extra talking ... and extra stuttering). This is important for our immediate situation but it's also important for "future stutterers" they may encounter. Every opportunity for "educating" is good for our whole community!

Problems dealing with round table discussions and making a "good first impression"...

Simply stating that you stutter at the start really helps. Unfortunately "jumping" into the conversation can be particularly hard. I was once "scolded" for bringing up something that had already been "tabled" .... The reason I was late was that I had blocked, and by the time my remark came out the conversation had already moved on... For this reason, your might both mention your stutter AND the fact that you will raise your hand to ask for your time when you have something to say. If they don't give you the time THEY are the ones who will look bad to the audience..

One more thing: Mentioning your stutter and how you wish to be supported at the round table GUARANTEES a GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION. You will be admired for your courage and straightforwardness, and people will be even more interested in what you have to say. It beats any attempts to hide the stutter and to hide any internal struggle.... every time.

 

 

Why is 100% fluency still not a "cure"?

Here is a silly analogy. Suppose the on-off switch on your TV set stops working, but you find that if you whack the top of your set it will come on. Is the TV "fixed"? 

There won't be a "cure" for stuttering until we understand the precise cause, presumably some very specific physical or chemical problem in the brain. In the meanwhile it is often possible to find "workarounds" in the form of speech techniques and/or attitudinal adjustments, that allows a stutterer to communicate effectively, sometimes to the point where the stutter can become undetectable. Still the PWS needs to remain aware one's speech patterns and exercise effective control.  A "naturally fluent" speaker does not need to do that. In that sense the stutter is not "cured" any more than the TV set being whacked to be turned on has been fixed...

It may also be possible that the controls that allow for fluent speech become "second nature" and no longer require a special effort. I think of this situation as possibly having built "alternative pathways" in the brain that now allow for a feeling of normalcy in speech production.  I feel I am at this stage. I don't think about my stutter any more,  by any measure I am viewed as fluent. Still I am caught by occasional "surprise blocks" I am usually able to get out of, quickly and without the listener having noticed any problem. 

I know that my approach to achieving fluency has been sound, and I have written about it in my audio course, but I must also acknowledge that the results may well depend on the original degree of severity. It is also possible that "developmental stuttering" may include a yet unrecognized family of different stuttering causes, with similar symptoms, but different developmental trajectories through life, including one that tapers off with old age. I have known people who have stuttered severely throughout their life and some who have improved considerably, apparently even without therapy. We just don't know enough yet.

Is it common to try to find different words when blocking?

Yes, that's very common.... and the essence of what is for some "covert stuttering". My advice is not to give in to the temptation to find new words. It can become an agonizing mental gymnastics ... I would recommend to get specific guidance form a specialized SLP. One technique I find very helpful is voluntary stuttering. Allow yourself to stutter on those words by actually "imitating" the way you would normally stutter, only YOU are making it happen instead of letting it happen to you... It often turns into "effortless stutter" that allows for good communication.

Blaming the "victim"

 The "blaming the victim" problem is HUGE.  That is precisely what I'm getting at when I question whether there is just "one kind" of developmental stuttering. Some of us assume that however we were able to improve (or help some to improve) should work for everybody .... if they only followed our "instructions". And I say this as someone who has in fact produced approaches to improvement. The important point is to realize that results may be quite different for different people and that's nobody's fault. It's just the "nature of the beast"!

Is there ony "one kind" of developmental stuttering?

 

Here is an issue I wish there were more research on (do let me know if you are aware of any...). Do we really have only 2 kinds of stuttering: developmental and neurogenic? What bugs me is that we lump all developmental stuttering in one category, yet I see different types of "development". The most obvious one is how most children who show some kind of stuttering behavior, recover from it spontaneously. Those who don't continue to stutter into adulthood. In adulthood we think in terms of a continuum of "severity" but we still assume we are dealing with the same problem. If there were different original neurological causes leading to different severities, it would be very difficult to tell them apart because the developmental aspects would tend to blur any differences. Is this what's happening? And here is one more indication that we MIGHT not be dealing with "one" kind of developmental stuttering. Some people stutter less and less in old age, and for some it doesn't change at all! I have known stutterers who attempted therapy throughout their life with no success.

This last fact really nags at me because I, and others, who feel they have "recovered" from stuttering, often think that it was due to their "work" with techniques for improvement, therapy etc. This includes me. I've gone as far as to put my ideas and experience into workshops, postings and even an audio course (script uploaded in group files). The suggestions I make, and which I applied to my own situation, are widely accepted in traditional therapy and I am confident that they would be helpful to any stutterer, but I must admit that I am an "experiment of one" ... and maybe my stutter would have vanished of its own accord regardless of any techniques. I think that Pres. Biden might be in this category. I feel very strongly that this hypothesis should be given serious consideration. If you are a researcher in this area would you please get in touch with me?

Fluent speakers' perception of "blocking"

Blocking (especially when "silent") is not recognized as "stuttering" by many fluent folks. They simply don't have a comparable experience. They often think that we just "forgot" the word or had a "tip of the tongue" occurrence...

Stuttering and acting

The question came up on whether it is true that stuttering does not happen while acting.  Here is my take:

Stuttering is situational, and different situations affect us differently, but I think it is clear that words that come from memory and with a rhythm (as in singing and poetry) are processed differently in the brain, and in ways that, for most of us, "bypass" the areas that are vulnerable to stuttering. It's probably similar for acting, where lines and associated rhythms are memorized. I did do some acting, and I had this experience: my initial rehearsals, when I was using memorized lines, were free of stutter, but, as I "became the character" my stutter crept in again. I was amused when the director started noticing it and "liked my choice" of making the character a stutterer!

Posts form STUTT-L group in the 90's

 The posts that follow are based on emails sent to the STUTT-L group ("Stuttering: Research and Clinical Practice") from 1994 to 1998. My writing is edited and the writing of others is paraphrased or briefly quoted (indicated in blue).

 I attempted to recapture a long dialog about stuttering that I pursued on the STUTT-L list ("Stuttering: Research and Clinical Practice") from 1994 to 1998. This dialog was based on personal experience of my own stuttering problem and a on a great deal of thinking motivated by my scientific training as a biophysicist.

I edited  the list dialog over a period of time, but I lost some of it.

(This dates back to the 1997 like the previous posts)

> From: Darrell Dodge > Subject: Re: Fluency techniques Hi Darrell, I said: 

> > yes, blocks occur "in the brain" but no, 

> > NOT NECESSARILY as a result of fear. Fear certainly contributes to whatever

 > > factors trigger blocks, but its absence is no guarantee of fluency. I say 

> > this from personal experience. I have long eliminated all concerns about 

> > stuttering on any words but an occasional block still manages to catch me 

> > by surprise. NONE is a result of any fear or "expectation" on my part. >  

You said: .... 

> perceptions that are quicker than our consciousness. I think there's pretty 

> good agreement that there are many things like this that can send us into a 

> block: external and internal physical cues, warnings, or reminders of 

> stuttering. Van Riper talks about this and Einer Boberg wrote about residual 

> "micro-stutters" in the speech of "recovered" PWS. These warnings can be 

> "perceived" subconsciously. 

 

 I had a similar discussion with John Harrison a while back. Of course there is no way I can prove that there isn't some perverse subconscious motivation for every single block I have. Nor can you prove that there is. At some point one model simply becomes more parsimonious than the other, at least in my mind and that of others. When blocks happen in very "unloaded" circumstances and side conversations, for instance, I'm talking with my date at a restaurant, and I casually ask the waiter for a glass of water, WITHOUT any thought or concern for the request, and I block on "glass", while I had been completely fluent with my date, you simply have to wonder. I can see your wheels already spinning... I know you can concoct some good psychological reasons why suddenly "glass" could have become so loaded and important that my speech mechanism decides to grind to a halt... but you have to start wondering. Please do, for just a second. Think of stuttering as a grain of sand loose in your speech engine. If you build fear around specific words, you create the bottlenecks where the grain of sand is most likely to get stuck (and stop the engine), but even if you eliminate such fears, the grain of sand is still there and occasionally it gets stuck in random places. The question is not "is this the correct model?". We can't answer that now. Rather "is this model worthy of serious consideration?". I think so, because the consequences are rather profound from the point of view of research. It shifts the focus from the psychological reasons why, somehow, we start fearing words and making our life difficult, to looking for the $%#!! grain of sand that is causing the problem. Let me repeat my mantra: "We start fearing words BECAUSE there is something wrong ... we DON'T CAUSE what's wrong because we fear words". Although, it is certainly true that "fear" makes the problem worse and it can be (and should be) approached with therapy. ... >Van Riper talks about this and Einer Boberg wrote about residual >"micro-stutters" in the speech of "recovered" PWS. ... I worry about the following: "residual (micro?)stuttering" tends to be dismissed by SPLs, and understandably so, for two reasons. 1) It is no longer perceived as a serious "problem" and 2) There are no therapeutic tools to deal with it. This is fine from a "therapy" point of view. I fall into this cathegory and I haven't felt the need for therapy in a long time, but, FROM A RESEARCH POINT OF VIEW, this is an area that has the potential to bring in a deep understanding of primary causes. SLP will say "what's left is no longer THE problem", I say "what's left may well be THE problem".... Just when all the confusing factors that contribute to the problem (fears, learning bad reactions etc.) have been eliminated and one could look at the straight core physiological cause, the research community (it seems to me) packs up and leaves. The fact is: nobody is going to start looking until there is at least some degree of belief in this possibility. This is why I and others keep hammering away at this.