Stuttering facts

• Stuttering is a communication disorder whereby the flow of speech is broken by repetitions, prolongations, or abnormal stoppages of sounds and syllables. There may also be unusual facial and body movements associated with the effort to speak. Stuttering is also referred to as stammering.

• About 5 per cent of all children go through a period of stuttering that lasts six months or more. Three quarters of those who begin to stutter will recover by late childhood, leaving about 1 per cent of the population with a long-term problem. The best prevention tool is early intervention.

• Stuttering affects four times as many males as females.

• Almost half of all children who stutter have a family member who stutters.

• No one knows the exact causes of stuttering, but recent research indicates that family history, neuromuscular development and the child’s environment, including family dynamics, all play a role in the onset of the condition.

Source: The Stuttering Foundation