Stuttering is a communication disorder that impairs a person’s ability to speak fluently. Research indicates that it is a neurological issue with the speech motor areas of the brain.
Stuttering is not a problem with intelligence or language, it is purely an issue with motor aspects of speech production. So people who stutter know what they want to say but when they go to say it just doesn’t come out as smoothly as typically fluent speakers.
If a person does not outgrow stuttering during childhood they are likely going to stutter to some extent their whole lives, there is no known cure. It is a very misunderstood disorder for several reasons.
Probably the biggest misunderstanding or myth is the idea that it is caused by nervousness, insecurity or anxiety. This is not true.
It is true that those things may exacerbate the amount of stuttering but it is not casual. The National Stuttering Association is hosting a documentary that does a really great job of explaining what stuttering actually is and how it impacts people’s lives.
The private screening is hosted by the Albuquerque Chapter of the National Stuttering and the UNM Speech and Hearing Clinic.
Learn more about ‘The Misconception of Stuttering’ The event will be screened in Keller Hall at the University of New Mexico. For tickets and additional information, click here.
