Basic Information:
Fluency disorder - an interruption in the flow or rhythm of speech characterized by hesitations, repetitions, or prolongations of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases.
Most commonly, Fluency speech disorders present themselves as a stutter. It is estimated that more than 3 million Americans stutter.
Disfluencies in speech are not necessarily a problem unless they are unless they impede communication when a person uses to much of them. For example, we all say "uh" and "um" occasionally, but a person with a speech fluency disorder often repeats syllables and prolongs their vowels to the point where it is very difficult to understand them. People with fluency disorders will often become frustrated when speaking, and perhaps avoid speaking all together.
Some people with a fluency disorder will develop tricks to hide their disfluent speech, like rearranging the words in their sentence (Circumlocution), or forgetting what they wanted to say.
Symptoms:
Symptoms of Speech Fluency Disorders are:
Stuttering can affect more than just a person's observable speech. Diagnosis must be done by a certified speech-language pathologist (SLP). The SLP will note the number of disfluencies someone produces in various situations, and how that person deals with said disfluencies.
Treatment:
Treatment for people with speech fluency disorders is usually behavioral, meaning that they will teach skills to allow a person to communicate better. Some suggestions for treatment from an SLP are as follows:
Fluency disorder - an interruption in the flow or rhythm of speech characterized by hesitations, repetitions, or prolongations of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases.
Most commonly, Fluency speech disorders present themselves as a stutter. It is estimated that more than 3 million Americans stutter.
Disfluencies in speech are not necessarily a problem unless they are unless they impede communication when a person uses to much of them. For example, we all say "uh" and "um" occasionally, but a person with a speech fluency disorder often repeats syllables and prolongs their vowels to the point where it is very difficult to understand them. People with fluency disorders will often become frustrated when speaking, and perhaps avoid speaking all together.
Some people with a fluency disorder will develop tricks to hide their disfluent speech, like rearranging the words in their sentence (Circumlocution), or forgetting what they wanted to say.
Symptoms:
Symptoms of Speech Fluency Disorders are:
- Repetition of whole words, or parts of words
- Prolonging vowels or consonants
- Being out of breath when speaking
- Speech may be blocked or completely stop
- Word interjections such as "um", "uh", and "like"
- "W- W- W- Where are you going?" (Part-word repetition: The person is having difficulty moving from the "w" in "where" to the remaining sounds in the word. On the fourth attempt, he successfully completes the word.)
- "SSSS ave me a seat." (Sound prolongation: The person is having difficulty moving from the "s" in "save" to the remaining sounds in the word. He continues to say the "s" sound until he is able to complete the word.)
- "I'll meet you - um um you know like - around six o'clock." (A series of interjections: The person expects to have difficulty smoothly joining the word "you" with the word "around." In response to the anticipated difficulty, he produces several interjections until he is able to say the word "around" smoothly.)
Stuttering can affect more than just a person's observable speech. Diagnosis must be done by a certified speech-language pathologist (SLP). The SLP will note the number of disfluencies someone produces in various situations, and how that person deals with said disfluencies.
Treatment:
Treatment for people with speech fluency disorders is usually behavioral, meaning that they will teach skills to allow a person to communicate better. Some suggestions for treatment from an SLP are as follows:
- Monitor the rate at which you speak (and speak slower)
- Monitor and control breathing
- Don't allow people to interrupt you or finish your sentences
Links to Resources:
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/stuttering.htm
http://www.asha.org/careers/professions/sld.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egxkGX7rioY
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/stuttering.htm
http://www.asha.org/careers/professions/sld.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egxkGX7rioY