Many times we have encountered a person who stuttered and as they were trying to utter a word, we said it instead of them. Probably most people don`t know that this is not the right thing to do, because the stammering person feels helpless and humiliated in a way. We have decided to reveal how, why and when stuttering most often occurs.

We have contacted professor and speech-language therapist Natasa Sunic in order to see when and how stuttering occurs for the first time.

- Stuttering occurs for the first time when speech is not entirely automatise, which means between year two and three. This is a period of intense development of speech when the child meets a lot of new words for the first time, starts actively using these words, but is not entirely aware of their meaning. As the child is still very “clumsy” in communicating, prolongations occur in speech and repetitions of units of speech happen – Sunic explains.

“Watch what you`re saying!! Is not the right approach with a stuttering child

Also, Sunic points out that this does not necessarily have to be a clinical definition of stuttering, but she adds that if parents react to the child`s speech in a non-suitable way, for instance by saying: “Watch what you`re saying!” or “Don`t talk like that!”, a child starts seeing its speech as something awkward and starts remembering the words which made him “trip” in speech.

- When such a situation occurs, it is highly possible for a child to start stammering – the expert told us.

Apart from the first described period, Sunic claims there is a so-called second period when stuttering happens.

Children between 4 and 5 years of age are intensely interested in situations surrounding them, they ask a lot of questions and want to know everything. If a child has a “weak spot”, i.e. predisposition for stuttering, the environment which reacts in the wrong way can affect the child`s stammering development.

Fear of school helps stuttering

At a later ago, stuttering can occur if stuttering elements are already present. Fruitful ground are problems with attending school classes, especially if a child Is not suitable prepared and is afraid in some way.

- Prevalence of frequent stammering situations happens more often in boys, rather than girls. There are many theories about the appearance of stammering and many experts from various akin fields of speech-language therapy have presented theories about the causes of this disorder.

The most suitable assumption of the cause of stammering is that it is a consequence of non-suitable organisation of movement of the speech mechanism in time, Natasa Sunic claims.

Speech-language therapist Sunic explains that persons who stutter cannot properly organise the movement of organs which take part in articulation of individual sounds, syllables, words and then sentences in a certain time interval.

Therapist NatasaSunic points out that many other components can be linked to the appearance of stammering, along with situations which affect it, like a powerful psychological component. Emotional conflicts between a child and its environment are stated.

Stuttering can be ended with regular practice

- Speech-language therapy diagnostics helps evaluate the level and type of stammering and then determines whether another expert should be included in therapy. Individual period is next, when a child has therapy with a speech-language therapist.

However, it can be said with certainty that regular practice at home and therapy sessions with speech-language therapists can yield noticeable improvements in speech in six to nine months, i.e. the child becomes more fluent – Sunic concludes.