MEDICAL SURFARI; WHAT DO THESE PEOPLE HAVE IN COMMON?

What do Moses, Isaac Newton, Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, Charles Darwin, Bruce Willis, and Carly Simon have in common? They stuttered.

Stuttering and stammering are the same thing and this condition was first mentioned on Mesopotamian clay tablets and it has been referred to in the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. It has never been shown by medical research to be a "psychological problem." Stuttering is the condition wherein the flow of speech is broken by abnormal stoppages (no sound), repetitions, (st-st-stuttering), or prolongations, (ssssstuttering) of sounds and syllables. About 1 percent of adults and 4 percent children stutter and it is estimated about 1 percent of the entire world adult population stutters. In fact, boys are five times more likely to stutter than girls and there seems to be a high concordance of stuttering among identical twins. And, this condition does occur in all cultures.

It is not well understood why people stutter but apparently it is not a nervous or personality disorder as people who stutter are normal except they lack the ability to speak fluently. Almost all children go through a stage of frequent non-fluency in their early speech development but these non-fluencies are considered normal.

Stuttering does tend to run in families, and typically begins at a very early age usually between two and five years or it may occur for the first time in a school age child but it rarely occurs for the first time in adulthood. Interestingly, people who do stutter do not stutter when they sing, whisper, speak in chorus, or when they do not hear their own voice. Although there are a variety of theories to explain this, there is no universally accepted explanation for these phenomena. The degree of stuttering tends to vary widely and although it may appear to be an easy problem that can be solved with some simple advice, it is unfortunately a chronic life-long speech disorder that often can be improved with therapy but total fluency is usually not a realistic goal for most adults.

When you are speaking with someone who stutters you are not alone if you feel a little anxious and uncertain about what to do. If you keep the following in mind you and the person who stutters will likely be more comfortable. Although you may be tempted to finish sentences or to fill in words try not to do this. Refrain from making remarks like "slow down," "take a breath," or "relax." This type of simplistic advice is often perceived as demeaning and it is certainly not helpful. Maintain natural eye contact and just wait patiently and naturally letting the people know by your manner and your actions that you are listening to what they are saying and not how they are saying it. And, beware that people who stutter usually have more trouble controlling their speech on the telephone. Set a relaxed pace in your own speech as this will convey that you are comfortable and the other person will not feel pressed to keep up. Basically, be yourself and be a good listener.

Worldwide Web Resources

The Stuttering Home Page

www.mankato.msus.edu/dept/comdis/kuster/stuter.html

This is an award-winning information resource maintained at Mankato State University, that provides research articles, brochures, information links, information for parents and teachers, chat rooms, and self-help and support group links.

The Stuttering Foundation of America

www.stuttersfa.org/index.html

The web site of the Stuttering Foundation of America provides information to those who stutter and their families as well as professionals.

National Stuttering Project

www.nspstutter.org/

The National Stuttering Project, founded in 1977, provides a network of support chapters, publications and activities for people of all ages who stutter.

Dr. Scott Gibbs is a Cape Girardeau neurosurgeon and editor-in-chief of Mosby's Medical Surfari. You may e-mail questions to him at drgibbs@semissourian.com or write in care of the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699.