October 22nd is International Stuttering Awareness Day. Stuttering is the only disability people still laugh at but we’re working to change that! Just over 70 million people around the world stutter, including more than three million Americans. Most people know someone who stutters, but few understand the condition, what causes it, and how it is treated. Many famous people, including actors, singers, statesmen and athletes are among those who stutter. One in five children stutter for a time during their development.
One of the most frustrating aspects about stuttering is that it is a variable disorder. In other words, sometimes you may stutter quite a bit and other times you may not. Because it is so variable and complex, stuttering is often misunderstood. Education leads to understanding, leads to compassion, leads to healing. In recognition of International Stuttering Day, here is some basic information and misunderstandings bout the condition that causes stuttering.
MYTH: Stuttering is linked to intelligence. REALITY: There is no link whatsoever between stuttering and intelligence.
MYTH: Nervousness causes stuttering. REALITY: Nervousness does not cause stuttering. Nor should we assume that people who stutter are prone to be nervous, fearful, anxious, or shy. They have the same full range of personality traits as those who do not stutter.
MYTH: Stuttering can be “caught” through imitation or by hearing another person stutter. REALITY: You can’t “catch” stuttering. No one knows the exact causes of stuttering, but recent research indicates that family history (genetics), neuromuscular development, and the child’s environment, including family dynamics, all play a role in the onset of stuttering.
MYTH: It helps to tell a person to “take a deep breath before talking,” or “think about what you want to say first.” REALITY: This advice only makes a person more self-conscious, making the stuttering worse. More helpful responses include listening patiently and modeling slow and clear speech yourself.
MYTH: Stress causes stuttering. REALITY: As mentioned above, many complex factors are involved. Stress is not the cause, but it certainly can aggravate stuttering.
I am alone. Many people who stutter grow up feeling alone and isolated. But you are not alone. Most experts agree that close to one percent of the world’s population stutter. This means that approximately 3 million people in the United States stutter and about 70 million people in the world stutter.
I stutter because I am nervous. While anxiety is not the cause of stuttering, anxiety may make us stutter more severely at times, such as during stressful situations like talking on the phone or speaking in front of a crowd. A frustrating reality about stuttering is that when we want to stutter less, we often end up stuttering more. And when we no longer fear our stuttering, we often end up stuttering less.
Stuttering will hold me back in life. People who stutter are as smart and capable as anyone else. History is filled with exceptionally smart, talented and successful people who stutter, including: Prime Minister Winston Churchill; physicist Albert Einstein; scientist Charles Darwin; actress Marilyn Monroe; Vice President Joseph Biden; actresses Nicole Kidman and Emily Blunt; professional golfer Tiger Woods; actor and the voice of “Darth Vader,” James Earl Jones; actor Bruce Willis to only name a few.
