Stuttering and Cluttering

Stuttering and Cluttering

Stuttering

People who stutter usually have more—and different types of—disfluencies than other people. They may repeat parts of words, stretch a sound out for a long time, or get stuck before starting a word or in the middle of saying a word.

Stuttering also may include tension and negative feelings about talking. People who stutter may try to hide their stuttering because they are worried about what others may think. They may avoid certain words or situations that may make them stutter more—like talking on the phone.

Stuttering can change from day to day. At times, someone may speak more easily; at other times, they may stutter. Stress or excitement can lead to more stuttering.

Cluttering

People who clutter may speak very quickly and be difficult to understand. They may also have disfluencies that everyone experiences, not just the disfluencies that people who stutter tend to have.

Some people who clutter have anxiety, and they avoid situations where they might have to speak. This avoidance can cause isolation and can reduce their quality of life.

Typical Disfluencies, Stuttering, and Cluttering: How to Tell Them Apart

Typical disfluencies happen to many of us and are not considered stuttering:

• Adding a sound or word, called an interjection—"I um need to go home."
• Repeating whole words—"Cookies cookies and milk."
• Repeating phrases—"He is–he is 4 years old."
• Changing the words in a sentence (called revision)—"I had–I lost my tooth."
• Not finishing a thought—"His name is...I can't remember."

When children are learning a lot of words or new speech sounds, they may have some of these typical disfluencies.

Stuttering can look like any of the following:

• Repeating sounds or syllables (“I w-w-want a drink”).
• One-syllable word repetitions—"Go-go-go away."
• Prolonging sounds( “ssssssmoke”).
• Blocks or stops—"I want a (pause) cookie."

You may also notice other behaviors like head-nodding or eye-blinking. Sometimes, people who stutter feel like these behaviors help them stop stuttering. They may also avoid talking, avoid using certain words, or may use different words to keep from stuttering.

Personal feelings, situations, and the actions of others can affect the amount a person stutters. Here are some examples of things that may cause more stuttering:

Personal feelings

• frustration
• excitement
• nervousness
• feeling rushed

Situations

• holidays
• crowded areas
• speaking on the phone

The actions of others, such as

• making fun of the person who stutters
• appearing impatient with the person who stutters
• bringing attention to the speech of a person who stutters
• trying to "help" by finishing words for the person who stutters

Cluttering

The following are examples of what cluttering can look like:

• fast speech
• a lot of non-stuttering disfluencies—like saying “uh” and “um” and changing what they say
• unexpected pauses during speech
• saying sounds in a word in a very exaggerated way

What Causes Stuttering and Cluttering?

Stuttering

Stuttering usually starts between 2 and 6 years of age. Many children go through normal periods of disfluency lasting less than 6 months.

There is no "one cause" of stuttering. Possible causes include the following:

• Family history—Many people who stutter have a family member who also stutters.
• Brain differences—Compared with people who do not stutter, a person who stutters may have small differences in the way their brain works during speech.

Some factors make it more likely that someone will have an ongoing stutter:

• Gender—Boys are more likely than girls to continue stuttering. Data are currently limited to individuals who identify as male or as female.
• Age when stuttering began—Children who start stuttering at age 3½ years or later are more likely to continue stuttering.
• Family recovery patterns—Children with family members who continue to stutter are also more likely to continue stuttering.

Cluttering

The causes of cluttering aren’t clear. Researchers are working hard to find out more about causes.

When Should I Seek a Professional?

If you think your child stutters, consider consulting with a speech-language pathologist (SLP). Contact an SLP if your child:

• Has been stuttering for 6–12 months or more.
• Starts to stutter late (after 3½ years old).
• Starts to stutter more often.
• Tenses up or struggles when talking.
• Avoids talking or says it is too hard to talk.

What Does Testing My Child for Stuttering and Cluttering Entail?

It’s important to see an SLP for testing. But it’s not always easy to tell if a child stutters and/or clutters, so the SLP will check:

• The types of disfluencies (typical and stutter-like).
• The number of stutter-like disfluencies.
• How your child reacts when they stutter.
• How your child tries to “fix” or change their speech rate.

The SLP will ask if your child’s speech affects the way they play with others—or if it’s hard for them to speak in school. The SLP will use all of this information to decide if speech services are needed.

What Does Support for Stuttering and Cluttering Entail?

There are different ways you can help your child with stuttering and cluttering. The main way people can help is to focus on what a person says, rather than how they say it.

A typical care team usually includes you, your child, other family members, an SLP, and your child's teacher.

Treatment often focuses on helping someone speak more comfortably and freely in school, at work, and in different social settings. The SLP will also help the person handle speaking situations that make them fearful or anxious. These situations might include saying their name, speaking on the phone, or ordering food at a restaurant.

Children and adults who stutter and/or clutter may want to join local support groups, where they can talk with others who stutter and/or clutter and learn about other helpful resources.

To find an SLP or audiologist near you, visit Profind.

Resources

Inclusion in this list does not imply endorsement.

• National Stuttering Association
• Stuttering Foundation of America
• American Board of Fluency and Fluency Disorders
• International Stuttering Association
• Stuttering Association for the Young
• Friends: The National Association of Young People Who Stutter
• Stuttering Home Page
• StutterTalk