Share Stuttering: Myths & Facts
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Stuttering usually begins in childhood, between the ages of 2 and 5 years.
FACT
Stuttering is a speech pattern involving disruptions, or "dysfluencies", in a person's speech.
FACT
Stuttering can begin gradually and develop over time or it can appear suddenly.
FACT
Stuttering is a genetically-influenced condition: most of the time if there is one person in a family who stutters, there will be another person in the family who also stutters.
FACT
Stuttering is associated with differences in the brain; it is not just a behaviour that children learn or pick up from listening to other people who stutter.
FACT
Stuttering is more common among males than females. In adults, the male-to-female ratio is about 4 to 1; in children, it is closer to 2 to 1.
FACT
It's estimated about 1% of the world's population stutters = 82 million people.
FACT
As many as 80% of young children who begin to stutter ultimately stop stuttering. Those who continue to stutter into the school-age years are likely to continue stuttering in some fashion throughout their lives.
FACT
Stuttering varies significantly over time; Sometimes, people will have periods in which the stuttering appears to go away, only to have it return. This variability is normal.
FACT
Avoiding stuttering (e.g. by trying to speak quickly, by forcing through moments of stuttering, or by not speaking at all when you fear that you might stutter) can increase the likelihood that more stuttering will result.
FACT
Stuttering varies across situations: sometimes people stutter a lot, and sometimes they stutter a little. This variability is normal.
FACT
There are four factors most likely to contribute to the development of stuttering: 1. Genetics 2. Child development 3. Neurophysiology and 4. Family dynamics
FACT
Recent neurological research has shown that people who stutter process speech and language slightly differently than those who do not stutter.
FACT
The President of the United States (Joe Biden) is a person who stutters (PWS).
FACT
Nervousness causes stuttering.
MYTH
People who stutter are not smart.
MYTH
