FAQs

What is stuttering?

Stuttering is a communication disorder in which the flow of speech is broken by repetitions (li-li-like this), prolongations (lllllike this), or abnormal stoppages (no sound) of sounds and syllables. There may be unusual facial and body movements associated with the effort to speak. Stuttering is also referred to stammering or speech fluency.

What causes stuttering?

There are four factors most likely to contribute to the development of stuttering: genetics (approximately 60% of those who stutter have a family member that does also), child development (children with other speech/language problems are more likely to stutter); neurophysiology (research has shown that people who stutter process speech/language slightly differently than those who don’t stutter); and family dynamics (high expectations and fast-paced lifestyles can contribute to stuttering).

How is treatment at Speech Plus different?

Our executive director, Valerie Thompson, is a Board Certified Specialist in Fluency and Fluency Disorders. during her Specialist candidacy, Valerie was mentored by renowned stuttering expert and author J. Scott Yaruss. Not all speech-language pathologists have training in the treatment of stuttering. Board Certified Specialists are individuals who hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence awarded by the American Speech Language Hearing Association, and have demonstrated a high level of knowledge and clinical expertise in diagnosing and treating individuals with fluency disorders.