stutter

stutter or. Balbuties represents a very complex event, so that the action must also be multi-pronged due to the variety of causes. The term treatment is used here in the broadest sense of the word and not just understood in a purely medical or language-pedagogical sense. Therefore, one can only answer the question posed at the beginning with a yes, but also with a conditional no, taking into account all the accompanying circumstances that led to the stuttering. What is the reason for stuttering?

causes

If it is a defect in the so-called language center of the brain, an innate or even hereditary condition, it may be an expression of nervousness or a sign of unwillingness, naughtiness or defiance leading to the stutter leads? These questions are often asked of the doctor or language teacher.

Let us try to answer these questions briefly. A brain defect can only be assumed if demonstrable pathological changes can be found in certain brain regions. This type of stuttering is associated with other disorders of speech. These rarer cases of e-illness will not be discussed here, nor will stutterers with significant intellectual deficits.

The stutterer is not a congenital ailment, nor is it possible to prove heredity on the basis of scientific studies. Some people think that stuttering is one of what is known as nervous language disorders. From a medical point of view, one can say that the signs of general nervous over-excitability are often observed in children and adolescents who stutter. They represent side effects. It is not the general nervousness that is the cause, but an accompanying or secondary effect, resulting from the overall picture to be described below.

Regarding defiant attitudes, naughtiness or even insubordination as reasons that lead to stuttering must be rejected from a psychotherapeutic or neurological specialist point of view. We observe, however, that the vast majority of stuttering children and adolescents make up those who can be described as neurotic. We want to deal primarily with these here.

Neuroses are malfunctions of organs or entire organ systems by the control and regulating organ, the brain. They almost always stem from disturbed relationships between the entire organism and its environment.

As with every neurosis, behind the neurotic stuttering there is also a very complex physical and physical occurrence, which is difficult to uncover and is not completely possible in all cases, since we are not always able to determine with certainty from the child's forms of expression to uncover all objective bases for the emergence and elimination of malfunctions in the functional sequence.

The main causes for the development of the child's neuroses and consequently also of the stuttering lie in disturbances of the interpersonal relationships of the child and his fellow and environment. In the stuttering children, in whom one does not find adequate environmental disturbances, the stuttering is sometimes based on character peculiarities, in which almost all severe disturbances in the area of ​​the emotional, volitional and instinctual life are present.

There are no intellectual backwardnesses in the both character-peculiar and neurotic children, and sometimes these children even have a very good intelligence.Stuttering shows up as a malfunction in pronunciation technique. As a side effect, one often sees rich, often grimace-like movements of the entire facial muscles, arms, legs and faulty breathing technique.

Symptoms, ailments & signs

Typical symptoms of stuttering are choppy, unintentionally interrupted speech and the unwanted repetition of individual syllables. While some stutterers cannot speak the first syllable fluently, others have problems with every word. You fail to pronounce a sentence clearly.

In addition to the possibly compulsive repetition of individual syllables and words as typical signs of stuttering, the complaints of many sufferers are primarily of a psychological nature. Language as a means of communication is necessary in many situations so that social relationships can develop and be maintained. If not treated, complaints in this area often lead those affected to withdraw.

You avoid situations in which stuttering occurs particularly and, in extreme cases, avoid any conversation. There is a risk of unwanted social isolation with possible consequences such as depression and suicidality. Children and young people in particular suffer from stuttering emotionally, as their peers often show little understanding and ridicule the speech defect.

It is advisable to consult a specialist at the first appearance of symptoms suggestive of stuttering. The faster the signs of a speech impairment can be treated, the faster those affected will find their way back to a normal way of speaking.

Course of disease

Work in psychological terms stuttering children inhibited, but at the same time restless, shy, but occasionally also challenging. Most stutterers suffer from their language disorder, which is why these children, also because they are often very teased, annoyed and ridiculed, withdraw from others, thereby losing the natural need for contact and the child's own zest for life.

From a neurological specialist and psychotherapeutic point of view, it is entirely justified to say that the vast majority of all stuttering children are those in whom environmental disorders can be identified. As a result, these children also appear restless in their motor skills (body movements), unsteady in their behavior and are also viewed as nervous because of the psychological otherness already described.

It can be seen that the environmental disturbances cause the stuttering and this in turn affects the personality of the child so badly that nervous accompanying and sequelae occur.

Complications

Complications in connection with the issue of stuttering usually arise in the social area of ​​the person concerned. Untreated stuttering in particular lets the stuttering person gradually avoid social situations in many cases. One is afraid of looks and ridicule from third parties and prefers to withdraw. This can lead to a breakdown of everyday life in both private and professional life.

Especially children who neither understand the health background of stuttering nor can verbalize their emotions in this regard suffer from the situation. They are threatened with social isolation. If speaking is generally avoided due to stuttering, there is also a risk of speech development delays, which later require intensive speech therapy. Without such treatment, success in school is also at risk.

The best way to avoid complications related to stuttering is to start therapy quickly. However, depending on the individual cause of the stuttering, therapy does not immediately bring the desired results. It takes time to learn how to speak normally again. In order to avoid psychosocial complications, psychotherapy may be indicated to accompany speech therapy.

When should you go to the doctor?

A doctor is not always needed for speech disorders. If stuttering occurs due to inner excitement, stress or a hectic situation, it is a temporary phenomenon. As soon as normal language flow returns some time later, the person concerned does not need any further help. Basically, care should be taken to ensure that calm is maintained in these situations. This is enough to achieve long-term improvement.

If the stuttering persists in various situations or if it increases in scope and probability of occurrence, a doctor should be consulted. Unintentional repetition of syllables or a jerky pronunciation should be discussed with a doctor. Regardless of whether the stutter occurs only in certain environments or in the presence of individuals, the sufferer should receive adequate support. A doctor or therapist is needed to clarify the cause.

If psychological problems occur in addition to speech abnormalities, a doctor should be consulted. In the event of changes in behavior, sleep disorders, vegetative irregularities, headaches or changes in personality, the complaints must be clarified. Social isolation or withdrawal from participation in social life are warning signs that should not be ignored.

Treatment & Therapy

When treating the Stuttering It is essential to first determine the cause, because an intellectually underdeveloped child requires completely different treatment than a neurotic one. In general, one should approach the stuttering child calmly and confidently and not pay too much attention to the language disorder, because the more attention one pays to it, the more insecure the children become and the more pronounced the symptom becomes.

Not looking at the mouth of a stutterer in conversation is well known. Then the stutterer usually speaks more informally and freely. Strikingly, stuttering hardly ever occurs when reading, and never when singing. These facts have also been used in the treatment.

In addition, through targeted speech treatment, which is usually carried out by speech teachers and also in speech therapy schools, speech technology can be improved or normalized considerably. Depending on the age group, as early as possible, you can switch on more specific psychotherapeutic measures. So-called autogenic training can already be used in schoolchildren, which primarily serves to relax but also to concentrate on the functional processes of individual organs and organ systems.

Hypnosis has not proven its worth. With suitable medication one can calm down and thus increase the physical and psychological resilience in stuttering people, which has a beneficial effect on treatment. However, drugs are only used as supportive therapy. There is no drug that can eliminate stuttering.

The attitude of the educators and teachers is very important, especially when it comes to stuttering children whose causes relate to environmental disturbances. Beatings, scolding, prohibitions and similar such drastic so-called educational measures aggravate the symptom of stuttering and lead to further childish bad postures. The friendlier, quieter, more relaxed the tone, combined with measures that increase self-confidence, the more beneficial it is for the overall personality of the stuttering child.

Aftercare

Nowadays stuttering can often be brought to a complete standstill with modern methods of speech medicine or reduced to such an extent that those affected no longer feel any suffering. The success of the treatment can largely depend on what caused the stuttering and what triggered it. Situational, suddenly occurring stuttering occurs frequently in child development, for example, and then suddenly disappears again.

Special aftercare is not required here. Long phases of stuttering with unclear triggers or those that are related to psychological causes usually require longer therapy. Here, those affected learn, among other things, new language techniques and methods that should help them overcome stuttering and consciously pay attention to the way they speak.

Follow-up appointments can be useful to review and refresh the effectiveness of what has been learned. Many of those affected need follow-up appointments for stuttering in order to receive regular feedback and stabilization, especially in the case of psychological causes. If learned speaking techniques are not used correctly or not consistently, stuttering can also come back. The aftercare then also serves to avoid this problem and to practice correct speaking again and again even after the acute treatment of stuttering.

You can find your medication here

You can do that yourself

Stutterers should be open about their illness. Often social exclusion or shame is the main trigger for stuttering attacks. People who stutter can announce their complaints when they come into contact with people they do not know. With the appropriate looseness, dealing with the disease is much easier and the stuttering often also subsides.

Aids such as so-called auditory feedback devices improve the flow of speech by analyzing and correcting it. It is also helpful to have a friend or a carer who points out the stuttering to the sick person and practices the correct way of speaking with them. Because stuttering often occurs as a result of nervousness, stutterers must be treated with patience and understanding. Stuttering must be treated for months and years before it is completely gone. In some patients, the neurological disorder lasts for a lifetime. However, training and the use of the correct speaking technique, as well as being open about the condition, are important factors in dealing with stuttering.

Sufferers who feel restricted by their condition should consult a speech therapist and, if necessary, contact a self-help group.