1. I feel I stutter though nobody has ever told me that I do. How do I know whether I really have a stuttering problem?

A person who stutters may show any of the following symptoms.

• Repetition of sounds, syllables or words. For example:- C…C… C… College, Co… Co… Co… College, College College.

• Prolongation, i.e., where the sound is stretched, for example:- Co…..llege.

• Pause, i.e., an uncontrolled break in the flow of speech, which is obvious to the listener.

• There may also be other features such as hesitations, excessive use of fillers (ummm, like….,well….,ah….h, etc.)

• Avoidance of words beginning with certain sounds etc.

We would like to add here that fluency is a highly variable skill, which varies from person to person, and in the same person, from situation to situation. Your concerns are best addressed by a Speech Language Pathologist.

2. My child of 2 ½ years stutters at times. What should I do?

There is a spurt in language development around 2 years of age. Children at this age pick up new words by the day and are experimenting with their linguistic skills. In such a scenario, it is normal for children to grope for words, or repeat them. However, when a child or the parents are concerned about the speech, it is best to consult a Speech Language Pathologist at the earliest.

3. Is Stuttering hereditary?

While there is no known genetic cause for stuttering, a child is more likely to stutter if one or more family members also have stuttering, which could be due to environmental factors contribute to the development and maintenance of stuttering.

4. Can stuttering be cured by medicines?

Stuttering cannot be "cured" by medicines. However, with regular speech therapy, patients receive enormous benefit. Early intervention (i.e., with young children), can eliminate stuttering in most cases.

5. My stuttering had disappeared after a course of speech therapy. Now I have begun to stutter again. Why?

Relapse is a common feature in stuttering and does not imply that speech therapy was not effective. A booster dose of speech therapy will certainly benefit you.

6. Is stuttering more common in males?

Yes, as is the case with many other speech / language problems.