One in every 100 people stutters.
Stuttering, which affects one in every hundred people in society, usually begins between the ages of 2 and 5, and is influenced by genetic factors, was brought to the forefront on October 22nd, World Stuttering Awareness Day. Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Burçin Mutlu spoke about lesser-known facts about stuttering and raising public awareness.
Genetic factors, not psychological factors, are influential.Mutlu said, "Stuttering is a speech disorder that disrupts speech fluency and manifests itself through repetition and prolongation of sounds, syllables, or words, and hesitations when starting to speak. Contrary to popular belief, psychological factors are not the determining factor in stuttering's emergence; the primary cause lies in neurological differences in individuals' brain structure and functioning, or in genetics. In other words, stuttering is not the result of fear, excitement, or embarrassment, and it is not caused by imitation. This condition, influenced by genetic factors, generally begins between the ages of 2 and 5. The prevalence rate in the general population is around 1%, meaning one in every 100 people struggles with words while speaking."
"YOU SHOULD NOT EXPECT IT TO PASS"Emphasizing the importance of early intervention in stuttering, Mutlu emphasized that the spontaneous recovery rate for stuttering is 75-80 percent, and continued: "Early intervention plays a critical role in preventing stuttering from becoming permanent. The probability of spontaneous recovery without any intervention is 75-80 percent for stuttering that begins early. However, the biggest mistake is to wait and think, 'It will go away,' because with each passing month, the risk of persistence increases. Therefore, the risk of permanence should not be ignored, and a specialist should evaluate the problem and create a roadmap."
Burçin Mutlu stated that speech and language therapists evaluate stuttering not only in terms of speech fluency but also in terms of its emotional, social and behavioral effects, and pointed out that the lives of stuttering individuals become difficult due to factors such as social views, prejudice and peer bullying.
Mutlu said, "Being made fun of in school, hearing laughter when given the opportunity to speak in class, and being interrupted mid-sentence during a job interview as an adult—things like stuttering don't stem from stuttering, but from prejudice. Individuals who stutter become silent not because of the words they 'get stuck on,' but because of impatient listeners. Yet, the most dangerous consequence of stuttering isn't 'not being able to speak,' but 'choosing not to speak.' Teachers' awareness is the first step in preventing peer bullying. Classrooms that make stuttering an opportunity for learning, not a source of ridicule, teach both children and society a lesson in humanity."
Mutlu noted that the first step in supporting individuals living with stuttering is to be patient, and listed his suggestions:
- You need to listen to what he wants to say, not how he says it.
- It is important to give him enough time to finish his sentence.
- It is necessary to make eye contact when a person with stuttering speaks.
Avoiding talking about stuttering is also a mistake; emotional support is very important.
Mutlu said, "The therapy process for stuttering aims to restructure an individual's speech experience. Desensitization techniques used in therapies aim to reduce the anxiety and avoidance behaviors experienced by the individual during speech; approaches such as speech reshaping or stuttering modification aim to help the individual speak more fluently by showing them a new way to speak. With these scientific methods, the individual also relearns their relationship with communication. Therapy initiated at an early age reduces the risk of stuttering becoming permanent. Most importantly, the therapist counsels the family on the right approach and communication styles during this period, thus preventing misconceptions. Therefore, regular therapeutic support strengthens both the individual's speech fluency and their confidence in speaking. Therefore, the most effective approach to stuttering is a therapeutic process that is patiently pursued, individually planned, and addresses both emotional and behavioral components together."
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