Stuttering Center

What is a Stuttering Disorder?

It is a multi-dimensional disorder that is made up of 3 parts.

Core Behaviors - accidental disfluencies that a person who stutters can't control. There are 3 types:

• Repetitions - repeating a sound, syllable, or one syllable word more than once or twice.  Examples:  "The b-b-b-baby is crying" (sound), "I think the bu-bu-bu-bunny is hungry" (syllable), or "Can, can, can I come with you?" (word)

• Prolongations - holding out a speech sound but the mouth/lips/tongue has stopped moving.  Example:  "Caaaaaaaaaaan I come too?"

• Blocks - when sound or air is stopped in the lungs, throat, or mouth/lips/tongue.  Example:  "Can..............I come to?

Children usually begin with the mildest type of disfluency - repetitions.  The repetitions are often bouncy and easy and children are typically unaware of them in the beginning.  As time goes on, it advances to prolongations and blocks and the repetitions become faster and tension increases.  That said, 33% of children with this disorder start with prolongations or blocks.  Secondary behaviors begin to develop as the disorder and awareness of it increase.

Secondary behaviors - learned reactions or responses to the disorder. These are classified into many types.

• Escape Behaviors - when a speaker tries to get out of being stuck on a word, with a physical movement. These can come in many forms such as eye blinking, foot stomping, and head turning etc.

• Avoidance Behaviors - when the speaker thinks he is going to get stuck and does something to prevent it from happening.

• Negative Feelings and Attitudes

Excerpt from Home Speech Home website

For more information please visit If you think your child is stuttering...

A guide for Parents of Children who stutter