Stammering/stuttering is a communication disorder characterised by involuntary disruptions in speech flow. It can have one or more of the following symptoms:
- Sound and syllable repetitions
- Sound prolongations of consonants and vowels
- Broken words (e.g., pauses within a word)
- Audible or silent blocking (filled or unfilled pauses in speech)
- Circumlocutions (word substitutions to avoid problematic words)
- Words produced with an excess of physical tension
- Monosyllabic whole-word repetitions (e.g., “I-I-I-I see him”)
It can stem from nervousness due to negative emotional, cognitive or behavioural experiences. Inappropriate care in early childhood, unrealistic expectations by family members and extreme social pressure to perform can also contribute to anxiety in the child. This can further worsen the condition.
We provide counselling services for such children and their families. We also work with adults with the condition.