Theories Of Stuttering

Stuttering is a multidimensional involuntary disruption in the production of speech sounds, that is also accompanied by underlying emotional factors. Stuttering is highly variable and is unique to certain individuals and situations. Stuttering can best be defined as a neurodevelopmental, epigenetic, multifactor disorder. Although it is more important to understand how to treat stuttering, knowing the cause of stuttering may provide a sense of comfort and acceptance for the person who stutters and their family. There are several plausible theories of stuttering, but there is no evidence pinpointing the exact etiology of it. Of the many theories, stuttering may best be explained through the multifactorial, demand and capacities Model (DCM).

These include the age of onset, acquired disorders, demands placed on capacities and or traumatic life events. The first precipitating factor is the age of onset. Studies show that the age of onset for stuttering occurs around age three. 85% of children will begin stuttering by three and a half with the percentage dropping to 75% by age six, and becoming extremely rare by age 12 (Andrews, 1984). If the onset of stuttering does not occur by age 6 it is extremely unlikely that it will. Another reason stuttering could precipitate is if it is acquired. Stuttering could be caused by various medical reasons that damage the brain, causing neurological problems. Stuttering could be acquired through events such as a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or a stroke (CVA). Related to the demands and capacities model, stuttering can also be precipitated when “environmental and or self-imposed demands exceed the speaker’s cognitive, linguistic, motoric and or emotional capacities for responding” (Adams 1990). When demands on an individual, such as time pressure or cognitive requirements, interact and outweigh capacities of a person, such inherited tendencies and cognitive abilities, disfluency or stuttering becomes more likely to occur. A helpful way to think about this is putting bags on the back of a horse. The more bags placed on the horse, the harder it becomes

These factors include high recovery rates and internal and external demands. Studies have shown that high recovery rates are genetically linked. If a parent of a child who stuttered recovers from stuttering, it is likely that the child will as well. Yairi and Ambrose propose a high recovery rate of 85% in children (Yairi & Ambrose, 2005). Few cases of stuttering result in perpetuation or continuation through adulthood, as expressed through high recovery rates. As related to the demands and capacities model, external and internal factors contribute to the perpetuation of stuttering. When demands are continuously placed upon a person, or capacities in this case, stuttering may