A Quick Explanation Regarding Stuttering and the Brain.
A number of studies have been conducted regarding the topic of stuttering and brain problems. They have been interrelated as a result of various studies. So far, there has not been any substantial proof of their real relation. Studies strongly show that the disfigured part of the brain that is responsible for speech is the main cause of stuttering.
Most Psychology books would say that everything can be traced through your childhood. This is one aspect being checked at as one of the causes of stuttering. Emotional traumas or baggage that are deep seated, are strongly responsible to such speech disorder. They say that it’s permissible for a toddler to do this at three years old but if it goes beyond this age, then it’s a serious matter that needs some medical attention.
Characteristics of Stutterers
Stutterers usually manifest their condition through the repetition of consonants in words and phrases. The serious conditions are those when words are being repeated in an unusually longer manner. Other than this repetitive manner, they have a series of short pauses or long pauses whenever they are expressing their thoughts. Stutterers also appear drawn out from what they are saying because of the manner in which they are expressing what they want to say.
There is a big difference with a child who is just learning to talk and experiencing the entire process as compared to a child with even a mild case of stuttering. The latter would repeat twice the sound of syllables that they hear with what they would really want to say. There is also an observable tightening of the facial muscles of a child with this medical condition. He or she would really look like that there is a major struggle with the words to be expressed but has difficulties determining how to verbalize or pronounce the word.
Some children with this condition would oftentimes raise their voices in dismay about their situation. Some would stop in the middle of their sentences because they feel like they are gasping for air and have a feeling of not being able to continue or finish what they are saying. Children with severe cases of stuttering are those that stutter for more than ten percent of their entire speech.
The child may appear to be having an abrasive or boisterous behavior as a result of not being able to do a simple task such as talking. They get consumed easily with the pressure and tension of their situation. Once exposed to normal kids, their situation may worsen, psychologically. Reality sinks in and there will be kids who will not understand and accept them. They will be bullied, causing deep seated psychological scars. This can be a major cause for their early depression in life.
The Cure
There are medications available that can help alleviate this condition. But there are no perfect guarantees. It will still depend on a child’s immune system and how this child’s body will react to the medication. Being a parent myself, the best cure is to give continuous therapy and never ending supply of moral support.
Even though stuttering and brain problems are often being linked, this condition is not a gage of a child’s innate intelligence. There is a research claiming that a person who stutters has superior intelligence. That person stutters because his or her brain functions in an extraordinarily quick manner. So next time observe how intelligent individuals talk. They do stutter as well.