Fluency

The field of speech-language pathology can be broken down into 9 sections. One of the sections, is dedicated to fluency. Fluency refers to the smoothness, effort, and speed of our speech. It is common for everyone to be disfluent at times by repeating sounds or words, using filler words (i.e., “like, um, and uh”), or hesitating before words. Periods of disfluencies may occur, as well, lasting for short amounts of time then returning. As explained on the American Speech-Language Hearing Association website, ~95% of children who stutter begin stuttering before they are 4 years old and about 88-91% of these children’s stutter will be eliminated with or without intervention (Yairi & Ambrose, 2013).

It is important to consider other behaviors and the emotional, social, and psychological effects that children and adults who stutter may experience, as well. This could include avoiding social events, eye blinking, head/neck/body tension and movements, social anxiety, and skipping words or sounds. When these accompanying symptoms and reactions to disfluencies occur, therapy is typically warranted.

Here are some strategies that can be implemented in attempt to smooth out speech:

• Taking a breath- It can help to have good breath support and calm the body by breathing before speaking.
• Slowing the rate of speech- Use a tactile and/or visual support such as tapping your hand/finger/leg for each word, using a pacing board, or referencing a picture to cue fluency strategies (e.g., a picture of a turtle as a reminder to use a slow pace like the speed of a turtle).
• Stretching out sounds- For example, if a person who stutters realizes the first sound of words/sentences is where they are most likely to be disfluent, stretching out the first sound can help them ease into the sentence (Instead of ‘M-m-m-my name is Lauren’, try to slightly prolong the first sound as ‘Mmmmy name is Lauren’).

The goal of fluency therapy is to help the individual understand their stuttering better so they can independently utilize fluency strategies and minimize emotional reactions to their disfluencies in the future.

For more information on fluency do not hesitate to reach out to us!

-Lauren-

Source: Yairi, E., & Ambrose, N. (2013). Epidemiology of stuttering: 21st century advances. Journal of Fluency Disorders, 38(2), 66–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfludis.2012.11.002