Stuttering
- Gavin Andrews, MD;
- Megan Neilson, PhD;
- Richard Curlee, PhD
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Excerpt
A RECENT essay1 and several letters2,3 in THE JOURNAL dealing with a physician-mother's guilt about her son's stuttering suggested that there continues to be a surprising lack of understanding among some physicians about the nature of stuttering. This is unfortunate, because research findings indicate that there is now substantial empirical information about the nature, development, and management of stuttering. Readers interested in the subject could consult a recent review.4
The Syndrome Developmental stuttering can begin as soon as a child starts speaking in short utterances, but most children begin to stutter between ages 3 and 5. The incidence decreases until puberty, after which the onset of developmental stuttering is rare. Syllable repetitions, especially on the first words of utterances, are the most frequent speech disruptions observed initially. Sound prolongations and tense pauses may also occur. Some children cease stuttering after a few months but in others the
Footnotes
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Reprint requests to the University of New South Wales, Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety Disorders, 299 Forbes St, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia (Dr Andrews).
