Stuttering affects the fluency of speech. It is characterized by disruptions in the production of speech sounds, also known as dysfluencies. An example of a dysfluency may be repeating words or the overuse of “um” or “uh”. Dysfluencies are not necessarily a problem but they can affect communication when an individual produces too many of them.

Stuttering can have an impact on many daily activities. Stuttered speech often includes repetitions of words or parts of words, along with prolongations of speech sounds. These occur more often in individuals who stutter than those who don’t. Interjections (i.e., “um”, “like”) can also occur when they contain repeated or prolonged speech sounds. This can also occur when the speaker attempts to intentionally delay the initiation of a word that they expect to “get stuck on”. In more extreme events, speech can become blocked or completely stopped, which can cause stress to the struggling individual.

All children can benefit from therapy, although the outcomes are different amongst children. As a result of speech therapy, some children are able to rid of their stutter. Others learn strategies that help them stutter less, while some learn to talk in a way that is easier and less tense even though some stuttering still may be noticeable. Most importantly, all children can learn to become more confident in their speaking skills no matter how much stuttering they still have.