Summary and Learning Objectives

My blog is all about stuttering and how it can affect a person's life. I focused on what stuttering was, where someone can go to get help, and what is being done to help those that do stutter. There are several different organizations that I researched and found that support the cause of stuttering and I found different articles some doctors and some journalists that researched stuttering and found ways to correct it.

Learning Objectives:
1. There are roughly three million people that stutter. Most of them being children between the ages of 2 and five which is the peak time during their developing stages. Approximately 5 percent of children will stutter for some period in their life. Boys are twice as likely to stutter as girls and as they grow up that number continues to grow. However, most children tend to outgrow stuttering.

2. Another learning objective I want people to know when they view my blog is that there are several organizations out there that can help those that stutter or that need help with a family member that may stutter. You are not alone because a lot of these non-profit organizations such as the National Stuttering Association or the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders are out there to help and inform people about these disorders. A lot of people are ashamed to say that they stutter and in some cases the stuttering can be more worse than others. It is important to know that their is support and other people that are going through the same problems with stuttering.

3. Finally I want others to realize and know that there are scientists and other professionals that are conducting research and trying to figure out the cause of stuttering. Though some may say it is linked to genetics, there is no yet cause as of where its origin came from. There are many people that think stuttering makes a person not as smart or intelligent as others because of disorder however just because one may stutters doesn't mean they are not capable of other things. As you can see I posted a picture of celebrities that have been successful in their careers that stutter and are still famous. It doesn't matter that you have this disorder it matters what you do with it.

Two Journal Articles

"Late Childhood Stuttering"
American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association
By:Peter Howell June 2008
Purpose: A study was conducted that examined factors that lead children who stutter around age 8 years to persist in the disorder when they reach 12 years of age
Method: Seventy-six children were verified to be stuttering at initial assessment when they reached 12 years of age, they were classified as persistent or recovered. A range of measures was taken at the 2 age points, and measure were examined by recovery group.
Results: Although the tendency for more males than females to stutter was confirmed, the reasons for this tendency are not apparent for those speaks. Different patterns in speech were observed:Severity ratings of the recovered speakers dropped by age 12. Persistent and recovered speakers differed on temperamental performance at around age 8 years and performed differently on sensory and motor tasks at age 12
Conclusion: Stuttering in late childhood affects mainly males. The later a child attends clinic, the longer he/she will stutter. Speech patterns of children who persist diverge from those who recover or who are fluent. As speakers persist, there are tempermental, sensory, and motor changes.




The American Journal of Pyschiatry
published in 1991 By:JP Brady
"The Pharmacology of Stuttering: A critical review"
Objective: The author critically examines the limited world literature on pharmacologic treatments of stuttering
Method: The literature on stuttering and drugs was identified by means of two computer-assisted searches
Findings: A great variety of pharmacologic agents have been used to treat stuttering, reflecting the many theories about the origin and nature of the disorder. I some instances, new hypotheses about the nature of stuttering have followed the chance discovery of agents using efficacy.
Conclusion: Few studies have used adequate experimental designs promising avenues of research, both for the treatment of stuttering and for exploring its nature, include the use of calcium blocking agents and certain other drugs.

The National Stuttering Association

The National Stuttering Association is an organization that provides support, friendship, and information to the stuttering community, instilling the sense of self-worth to those who have the disorder. Their support group provide attendees with the opportunity to share fears, frustrations, and triumphs. Their mission statement is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing hope and empowerment to children and adults who stutter, their families, and professionals. This organization was founded in California in January of 1977 and by Bob Goldman and Michael Sugarman. One of the groups most important early projects was to establish local self-help groups across California today they have more than 125 local support-group characters nation wide. This website gives and mini overview of what stuttering is, what causes stuttering, and what can be done to help stuttering. Anyone can join this organization and get involved in a community near you by going to the website and filling out an information survey of what kind of work one is interested in.

Website Info!

www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/stutter.html

National Institute on Deafness and other Communcation Disorders

This website is the website for the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders. The motto for this organization is "improving lives of people who have communication disorders". They defined stuttering as a speech disorder in which sounds, syllables, or words are repeated or prolonged, disrupting the normal flow of speech. Symptoms of stuttering can vary significantly throughout a person's day. Generally, speaking before a group or talking on the telephone may make a person's stuttering more severe. Roughly three million Americans stutter. It occurs most often in children between the ages of 2 and 5 as they are developing their language skills. This website is very informal and helpful to those who are interested in stuttering and learning more about what this is. I personally learned a lot more I didn't know about stuttering and the causes and effects of it. Their are links to this website that have different research and news articles that are informative about what is being done about this disease.