Stottern

Stuttering is a fluency disorder with a point prevalence of approximately 1%. Stuttering begins in childhood and is characterized by frequently occurring breaks in the flow of speaking. These fluency breaks are repetitions of words and syllables, prolongations of sounds and pauses. Many people who stutter show avoidance behaviors, social anxiety, shame and social withdrawal. Empirical studies point to genetic origins of the disorder; however, distinct physical deficits causing stuttering are not yet known. While most children outgrow stuttering before adolescence those who do not typically continue to stutter throughout their life. The severity of stuttering as well as its impact on the quality of life can be reduced by a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy and speech-language therapy.