10/15/2023
I-I-I-I-I-I-I AM A PERSON WHO STUTTERS
7.8 billion people, world-wide; 2% of the adult population and up to 5% of children, stutter. Stuttering is distributed evenly across cultures, races, socio-economic backgrounds and levels of intelligence. It does, however; discriminate with regards to gender. By age 12 years, four males for every female stutter. Ongoing research in the field of fluency disorders (stuttering), continues to offer new information for people who are afflicted with this devastating disorder. In the area of genetics, scientists have identified stuttering genes, confirming that stuttering is often inherited. In the area of physiology, brain imaging studies show salient differences in brain functioning of people who stutter and those who do not. Stuttering characteristics do not seem to result from one cause, but rather from several interacting factors including: genetic, neurologic, environmental and cognitive, as well as personality. Clinical research has proven that there is no cure for stuttering, however for the very young, effective therapy often results in normal fluency which continues for the remainder of one’s life.
Quality treatment for people who suffer daily with this disorder has, in the past, and in some current cases been misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and mistreated. Demands for change from this underserved population have been answered. In the year 2000, the governing body of Speech and Language Pathologists (American Speech/Language/Hearing Association, ASHA) established a subdivision that was charged with creating standards and criterion for specialists in treating stuttering and other disorders of fluency. Individuals who can meet and maintain these high standards are designated as “Board Recognized Specialists in Fluency Disorders”.
