What do we know about stuttering today? Occurrence, Diagnostics  

OCCURRENCE

According to international studies, approximately 1% of the world's population stutter. Most stutter for no cause - the so-called idiopathic stuttering.

Idiopathic stuttering occurs from the time when the small child starts speaking until puberty. Most begin stuttering at the age of 2-5. Some children stop stuttering quite spontaneously whereas others do so after a short period of treatment.

84% of all children who stutter will stop. The remaining 16% need specialised and comprehensive treatment.

Stuttering is a phenomenon three times more frequent in boys than girls. This disproportionate distribution between the genders becomes more acute with age. The risks of starting to stutter without cause (idiopathic stuttering) are virtually non-existing after puberty. Normal speakers may start stuttering as a result of cerebral lesions or damage or in connection with cerebral haemorrhage or cerebral infarct. The stuttering may cease spontaneously or as a result of speech treatment; in some cases, the result may be obtained by draining the injured area after e.g. a cerebral haemorrhage or tumour.

DIAGNOSTICS

Those who stutter are well aware of their disorder. A potential diagnosis of whether a child stutters or merely makes “normal” repetitions will therefore be necessary only during the first year of the child's stuttering. It will often prove quite complicated to distinguish between stuttering and hurried speech (cluttering), a distinction not necessarily made in connection with stuttering therapy. In most cases, cluttering is an integral part of the stuttering pattern though often less complicated than actual stuttering.

If stuttering is detected in combination with other functional disorders or handicaps, e.g. dyslexia, cerebral palsy, it is important to establish the origin of the individual aspects in order to be able to offer the correct treatment and a realistic prognosis for the result anticipated from the treatment.

The clinical examination comprises an assessment of the degree of stuttering. This is done on the basis of a video recording of the person who stutters.

Besides, an examination is carried out on the person's own assessment of the problems caused by stuttering. To this effect, the person is asked to fill in a questionnaire containing different assertions pertaining to these problems.

In addition, there are a number of other applicable questionnaires in connection with the examination. They deal with the person's own experiences in relation to communication and problem-solving strategies.