Why do people stutter when speaking? How to treat stuttering in an adult

Stuttering is a very complex speech disorder associated with psychophysiology, in which the integrity and fluency of a person’s speech is disrupted. This manifests itself in the form of repetition or prolongation of sounds, syllables, or words. It can manifest itself in the form of frequent stops or hesitation in speech, as a result of which its rhythmic flow is disrupted.

Stuttering interferes with one of the most important parts human life– communication.

Causes

Types and forms of speech impairment

There are several classifications of stuttering in ICD-10.

According to the forms they are distinguished:

Classification based on the etiological factors of speech impairment:

Form	Characteristic
Neurosis-like form.	The person has impaired motor skills and speech articulation, and there is comorbidity with dysarthria. During the conversation, such people exhibit various neurotic reactions. Children with this form of stuttering are diagnosed with delayed psychomotor development, they begin to speak late;
Neurotic form (logoneurosis).	Children with this form of stuttering have pre-existing or normal speech and psychomotor development appropriate for their age. The etiological factor in the development of logoneurosis is the manifestation of psychosomatics - fear or chronic stress.

Some patients do not stutter and their speech articulation is not impaired in their usual home environment. But able psycho emotional stress (strangers, public speaking) it is difficult for them to say a word, the cause is speech spasms. Such patients exhibit logophobia and characteristic avoidance behavior. From a neurological point of view, the patient's condition is regarded as neurosis.

Symptoms

The symptoms of speech disorders are very diverse and depend on the etiology of the disease and the localization of convulsive readiness.

Manifestations in children

Stuttering manifests itself at any age, but most often in children from 2 to 5 years old.

Hereditary predisposition plays a major role in the development of stuttering. Speech disorders in little girls are diagnosed three times less often than in boys.

IN preschool age skills of correct oral speech. At the age of three, young children develop the coordination system of speech movements and verbal thinking. Speech at this age is the most vulnerable and vulnerable area. Violation speech development due to the fact that young children get overexcited very easily, some of them are prone to seizures.

A feature of the neurophysiology of this age is the fact that they do not have strong inhibitory reactions. The risk of developing stuttering in an excitable child is much higher than in a phlegmatic child. Stuttering in children can occur as a result of strict upbringing and increased demands on the child. Some parents want to raise their children to be geniuses; they force their children to memorize large poems, pronounce and memorize difficult words and syllables, which in turn can cause speech development disorders in the child.

Stuttering in children can increase or decrease. Provoking factors for increased stuttering can be overwork, colds, disruption of the daily routine, and punishment. If a small child has the first symptoms of a speech disorder, you should immediately contact a specialist; it will not go away on its own. Stuttering in children must be cured before school. In order to understand how to get rid of stuttering, parents with children aged 2-5 years turn to a speech therapist.

Speech disorders observed during puberty are one of the manifestations of neurosis. Speech impairments may improve as a person gets older. According to statistics, only one percent of the adult population suffers from stuttering.

Features of the psychology of people who stutter

In the presence of strangers, they experience timidity and embarrassment, so they strive for privacy. They often feel depressed and constantly worry about their speech. Such people are very impressionable, have a wild imagination, which in turn intensifies stuttering. Also, stutterers often have a weak will.

The interesting thing is that people who stutter have different psychological techniques and tricks to eliminate stuttering. Very often in the presence certain people or society, they develop a fear of speaking, and sometimes, on the contrary, people who stutter show their disinhibition, ostentatious looseness, and harshness.

Correction methods

The science that deals with the problems of stuttering is called speech therapy.

Before looking for a way to get rid of stuttering, it is necessary to find out the reasons that led to speech impairment. The child must pass comprehensive examination, in the anamnesis it is necessary to identify heredity, traumatic situations. After receiving the results of the examination, the speech therapist draws up an individual program for the child.

Correction of speech disorders in adolescents should also begin with an examination, identifying the causes and signs of neurosis and psychosomatics.

Although stuttering (due to a certain location) occurs relatively easily, it is not always easy to treat. And it definitely needs to be treated. For, contrary to popular belief, this defect is quite amenable to correction, and often it can be completely eliminated. Parents with children who stutter should only contact specialists; they cannot cope with this problem on their own. Treatment of stuttering in children must begin at an early stage of development and must include the elimination of the traumatic situation that caused the speech disorder.

Treatment of a stutterer should include medications and methods, psychotherapy, work with teachers and speech therapists, and also address issues of rehabilitation of the patient. How successful the treatment will be depends on individual characteristics the patient, as well as on his ability to accept one or another method.

The main task of a speech therapist is to instill in a stuttering child the skills of correct speech.

Drug therapy

In addition to a variety of psychotherapeutic methods, four-stage drug therapy is used in treatment.

On initial stage correctional work the pathological speech stereotype is changed and the psychological state of the patient is corrected. During treatment, a person experiences gradual extinction stuttering reflex. For this purpose, long-term medicated sleep is prescribed (for several days), after which a period of silence begins for the patient.

At the second stage, treatment of concomitant chronic diseases is carried out, sanitation of foci of infection in combination with restorative therapy.

At the next stage of correction, the patient pronounces complex forms of speech in different situations, including psychotraumatic ones. Doctors can use pills to relieve anxiety and psycho-emotional stress of the patient.

At the final stage, the patient’s developed fluent speech skills are consolidated, general health procedures are extended, and medications should not be taken during this period.

Physiotherapy and exercise therapy

Physiotherapeutic treatment of stuttering is prescribed depending on the clinical manifestations of the disease and the location of seizures in the human speech apparatus. With pathology of the central nervous system(hydrocephalic syndrome, paresis) the appointment of procedures with potassium iodide is indicated. For articulatory convulsions, the patient is prescribed electrophoresis with antispasmodics. Some patients are prescribed psychostimulant drugs.

The following will help to relax and calm the patient: electric sleep, pine, oxygen and carbon dioxide baths.

Exercise therapy is widely used to treat stuttering in adults. breathing exercises, massage. The patient performs a series of general strengthening exercises aimed at correct speech breathing.

Music classes with patients are held 1-2 times a week. The music worker must teach them how to establish proper speech breathing. To the music, patients make various rhythmic movements, pronounce sounds and syllables.

Is it possible to cope on your own?

Some parents, looking for a way to get rid of stuttering, resort to the help of various traditional methods and “whisper grandmothers”, which treat fear in children. But this can be another traumatic situation for a young child, and delays traditional treatment in the future.

Correction of some types of stuttering in children can be done at home. Parents can help their child do speech exercises, repeat tongue twisters with him more often. In adults, stuttering can be treated well with hypnosis. None of the above methods guarantees a cure for stuttering.

Several proprietary speech correction techniques have been developed and patented: “How to get rid of stuttering?”, “How to remove speech defects?”. For example, Harutyunyan’s technique is based on the correction of speech defects using synchronous pronunciation of sounds and finger movements. On the Internet and in bookstores, every person who stutters can purchase audiobooks that will help him at home on how to get rid of stuttering.

Parents' tactics

The most important thing in treating stuttering in children is prevention.

Parents must raise their children correctly, paying attention not only to physical and mental development, but also the correct formation of speech. The child’s speech should not be hasty, he should not “choke”, all speech defects should be corrected in the early stages of their formation. Children who stutter need special warm and attentive treatment from parents and teachers.

For many adults, speech difficulties begin in childhood and persist after occasional treatment. People often resign themselves to their situation and consider it hopeless. This opinion is absolutely unfounded; this article will help you understand why.

History and description of the disease

Speech difficulties in the form of stuttering have been described since ancient times.

Until the end of the 19th century, attempts to study the nature of stuttering were sporadic, and there were no methods of treating it.

This was due to two reasons:

• the stutter always remained a rare occurrence not presenting a danger to others;
• Even more rare were cases of people who stutter being cured of their illness as a result of medical manipulations.

The suffering person was left alone with his problem; when communicating, he caused annoyance and sympathy at the same time. You can still encounter a disdainful attitude towards people who pronounce words with repeated hesitations.

Therefore, people who stutter try to speak less, especially in the presence of strangers, limit contacts, and deliberately narrow their social circle. In the 20th century, medical science fully recognized the need and relevance of specialized care for people who stutter.

Medicine considers stuttering a disease that has speech manifestations and neuropsychiatric origin.

Modern methods of stuttering correction in adult patients take into account their individual characteristics, include a detailed examination of the body and have positive dynamics as a result of the treatment undertaken.

External symptoms, features of manifestation and diagnosis of stuttering

Speech therapists are well aware that in order to effectively help patients with speech difficulties, verbal communication the participation of many specialists is required - neurologists and psychologists, first of all.

What symptoms are considered the main ones for making a diagnosis of stuttering?

The diagnosis is made in an adult patient in cases of pronounced deviation of speech from normal rhythm and articulation.

Difficulties are aggravated by involuntary grimaces and repetitive movements of the facial muscles - tics.

There are two forms of violations in the pronunciation of words, due to the type of spasms of the respiratory, articulatory and vocal muscles:

• tonic - with stretching of vowels and sonorant sounds, with unnatural pauses between words, with a break in the pronunciation of sounds within a syllable,
• clonic - with multiple repetition of the same consonant sounds, syllables or short words.

There is a mixed, tonic-clonic form, combining the listed symptoms. In all forms of stuttering, an intermittent, spastic nature of speech is expressed.

Sounds are blocked in the throat, and it seems that the person is making a significant effort to “push them out.”

Intermittent speech can be a pronunciation feature in people who do not stutter. The doctor pays attention to the comparative frequency and duration of interruption of the smooth flow of speech flow:

• There is a method for calculating the number of breaks per 100 words. Normally this figure is 7%. Then slow speech is not defined as unnatural. A person who stutters is interrupted in 10% of a hundred words or more.
• The duration of breaks in pronunciation in a “problem” patient is clearly expressed, ranging from one to 30 seconds and is accompanied by noticeable muscle tension.

Stuttering that occurs in adulthood is a feature external speech sick. Research has established that a person’s inner speech remains absolutely free, even in cases of maximum manifestations of the defect.

This fact is considered an important argument in favor of the possibility of curing adult patients from stuttering.

Men are more predisposed to speech defects stronger than women. Medical statistics indicates that for every five men who stutter, there are only two women. The structural features of the female brain provide a natural defense against speech illness.

Causes of stuttering in adults

It is customary to distinguish between neurotic stuttering (logoneurosis) and organic, or neurosis-like.

In a conversation with the patient, the doctor finds out whether the symptoms are constant or their manifestation depends on the circumstances of the speech act. The patient is prescribed a brain study in the form of an electroencephalogram.

If an encephalographic examination reveals the presence of abnormalities in the functioning of the brain structures responsible for speech functions, then stuttering is classified as organic.

It is characterized by constant symptoms that occur even in a calm and familiar environment for the patient:

• In adult patients, organic stuttering occurs as a complication after suffering other diseases with damage to the motor sphere.
• in the brain can mechanically interfere with the passage of nerve impulses and cause speech disorders.

Logoneuroses in adults are caused by stressful situations and deep nervous shocks. In these cases, stuttering is not fixed physiologically and largely depends on the level of emotional stress of the person.

Neurotic stuttering intensifies when it is necessary to speak in an unusual environment or in front of several people. There are known cases of temporary stuttering, which appears immediately after strong fear, affect, anger and goes away after some time, along with a decrease in the tension of the situation. To effectively help a person, a hot drink or a small dose of alcohol is enough.

Timely qualified assistance for stress logoneurosis is especially important. Otherwise, a pathological stereotype is formed, stuttering turns into chronic form, external speech problems are accompanied by convulsive syndromes and twitching. Psychological discomfort increases, communication with other people becomes tiresome to the point of exhaustion.

The largest group is of people who stutter from an early age. The primary causes of disorders may be organic or neurotic, but main feature of patients in this group is that the disease has an ingrained, stable nature.

The picture is complicated by hereditary predisposition and already formed speech habits. Courses of treatment for such patients can last several years.

In the video, the doctor explains what is the real reason, and what is the trigger for stuttering:

Treatment methods for stuttering in adults

Stuttering researchers are unanimous in the opinion that to successfully overcome the problem, an integrated approach is needed that takes into account biological, psychological and social aspect phenomena.

Methods for correcting stuttering in adults include medications, speech therapy and psychotherapeutic measures.

Drug treatment method

This method is aimed at relieving convulsive syndromes and stabilizing nervous reactions with the help of various medications:

• Anticonvulsant, antispasmodic drugs for oral administration: Magnerot, Mydocalm, Finlepsin. Milgamma, a complex of B vitamins, is used as an additional remedy.
• Sedatives that reduce nervous tension: glycine, grandaxin, afobazole. Good result observed when taking complex herbal preparations Novopassit and Dormiplant in the form of tablets or infusions medicinal herbs– valerian, motherwort, lemon balm.

Speech therapy techniques for treating stuttering in adult patients

Focused on changing stereotypical speech habits.

Stuttering correction methods can be divided into three groups:

• formation in a person of a new correct technique speech, including breathing, voice control, natural articulation;
• mastering developed skills on complex material - during reading and free storytelling;
• automation of skills when modeling various speech situations, development of emotional stability to possible difficulties when talking with other people.

This scheme is quite conventional, since speech therapy techniques are constantly being improved and applied taking into account the individual characteristics of patients, individually or in groups. How to cure stuttering in adults is decided by the attending physician, taking into account all the conditions and the general health of the patient.

A known method for treating stuttering L. Z. Harutyunyan, aimed not at the correction of individual speech disorders, but at the formation of a completely new speech-motor skill.

Psychotherapeutic methods of overcoming stuttering

They include rational and suggestive therapy, in addition, patients are trained in auto-training:

• Rational methods are implemented in the form of conversations between a doctor and patients, with the aim of forming an adequate, constructive attitude of the patient towards solving his problem.
• The suggestive technique consists of the patient undergoing one or several sessions of hypnosis. During suggestion, the doctor pays attention emotional sphere the patient and the state of his breathing, articulation and vocal apparatus.
• Mastering auto-training techniques allows people who stutter to help themselves independently. These skills remain with them for life and reinforce the results of treatment.

Physiotherapy exercises successfully complement special treatment courses. Simple exercises not only help strengthen speech muscles, but also have a beneficial effect on general state nervous system of people suffering from stuttering.

Breathing exercises by Strelnikova, classes in the yoga system under the guidance of an experienced instructor will give the patient a basis on which he can further base independent training.

There is information about positive impact acupuncture and acupuncture to solve speech problems.

If a person suffering from stuttering decides to resort to an unconventional treatment method, then he should choose a specialist with a good reputation, worthy of trust, who has everything necessary documents to carry out such activities.

There are also questionable treatment methods, such as prayer for stuttering. They are rarely used in medical practice, since it has not been scientifically proven that with their help you can get rid of stuttering.

How long should stuttering be treated and how much does treatment cost?

Promises to get rid of stuttering forever in one hypnosis session should not mislead modern people.

Instant healing may be an illusion that will quickly disappear at the first stress. The attitude towards long-term treatment from competent specialists is the most best position to overcome a difficult speech problem.

Specific dates will be determined by doctors, depending on the patient’s condition. If the treatment includes basic course in a hospital, it lasts about 30 days and can be extended in an outpatient setting for another 3-6 months or a year. There are often situations when it is advisable to repeat courses annually for several years.

Positive changes in the condition of patients inspire them and make treatment desirable and even more fruitful. The question of the price of procedures is relevant, but various possibilities for taking courses and combinations of procedures allow you to choose the best option.

The patient should remember that getting rid of stuttering with a high degree of guarantee against relapse is the work of highly professional specialists different areas medicine.

Average prices for treatment are:

• in the Central Committee of Culture in Moscow - from 60 to 100 thousand rubles,
• at the Central Red Cross Center in Kyiv – 50 thousand rubles,
• at the Hadassah clinic in Israel - 55-60 thousand dollars,
• in the Nadezhda MC in Minsk – 45-50 thousand rubles. (RUR),
• at the Center for Healthy Speech in Yekaterinburg - 100 thousand rubles.

The link will help you understand what a vegetative crisis is and why it occurs.

How to prevent the development of stuttering, and is complete recovery possible?

Preventive measures to protect against speech disorders include taking care of your own mental health. It is impossible to insure yourself against stress, but it is quite possible to increase mental stability.

Even isolated manifestations of uncontrolled speech disruptions during nervous tension should force a person to seek help from a doctor.

Information about reputable clinics that accept patients with stuttering is available on the Internet. Complex rehabilitation systems for adult patients, the authors of which are N. M. Asatiani and N. A. Vlasova, Yu. B. Nekrasova, V. M. Shklovsky, are used with great success.

The systems combine the efforts of doctors of different specializations - speech therapist, psychiatrist, psychotherapist, neurologist.

The results of the work of specialized clinics inspire reasonable hopes for thousands of patients. We can say with confidence: a person suffering from stuttering mature age should and can receive effective and efficient medical care.

Doctor Snezhko R.A. talks about how to deal with stuttering and whether complete recovery is possible with the use of modern treatment methods:

In fact, there are many reasons why people stutter, but the main one is the psychological stress that the person has experienced. Most often, people experience such stress in childhood, less often – in an adult.

So, what are the causes of stuttering?

Reason one. Childhood fear.

The child's psyche is a very delicate device. Unlike adults, children are more sensitive, receptive, vulnerable and impressionable. What may not seem scary to an adult, is perceived as great horror by a child. The author of these lines knows of one case when a child kindergarten was subjected to psychological pressure from the teacher. The teacher did not like this child for some reason, for which she disliked him. The teacher often yelled at the child and forced him to eat semolina porridge, which the child could not stand and in every possible way criticized any behavior of the baby. The child was very afraid of the adult teacher and silently endured all her insults. The boy was reserved and kept everything to himself, not complaining to his parents about the evil woman. And very soon, which is quite obvious, the constant screams of the teacher made themselves felt. They were the main cause of the child's stuttering.

And there are many such examples. The vulnerable psyche of children cannot withstand such violence. The child develops a speech impediment and becomes a patient of a speech therapist. In some cases, the doctor is able to eliminate this defect, but in most cases, stuttering cannot be completely treated and remains with the person for life.

Reason two. Injuries.

Concussions in both childhood and adulthood can lead to stuttering. Of course, stuttering after a concussion occurs more often in children than in adults. After all, a child’s brain is not yet fully formed, which is why various head injuries are more painful. Car crashes- this is the main culprit of adult stuttering. It mainly affects people driving. Firstly, a head impact more often falls on the windshield or steering wheel, and secondly, the stress experienced has an impact on strong impression to the machine manager.

Sports injuries are also a cause of stuttering. Wrestlers - boxers, karatekas, etc. - are especially susceptible to them. When swipe falls on the opponent's head, this has a huge impact Negative influence on human brain activity. So, for example, a boxing knockout blow can not only “knock out” a person, but also deprive him of correct speech.

Reason three. Congenital.

Sometimes childhood illnesses that arise from birth can lead to various speech defects, including stuttering. Such diseases, for example, include Down syndrome and autism. A child is born with abnormal speech, which is caused by disturbances in the functioning of the brain. Such stuttering is congenital and is not caused by any conditional reasons. Unfortunately, stuttering accompanies sick people throughout their lives and is extremely rarely treatable.

Reason four. Stroke.

Partial paralysis of a person caused by a stroke also leads to stuttering. After a stroke, the brain processes information more slowly, and a person’s usual reactions, including the speed of speech, slow down. This slowdown in reaction causes unrelated speech, which is accompanied by stuttering. Most often, such stuttering is temporary, but it all depends on the degree of the stroke.

Reason five. Nervous tension.

Excitement during an exam, a person’s psychological state during interrogation, speaking in front of an audience, a declaration of love - these are other main reasons for stuttering.

As you know, every person is susceptible to stress. Even a completely healthy person who has never stuttered in his life can behave like a real stutterer in such stressful situations. Getting lost in words, confused in letters, repeating the same syllables. The nervous stop does its job. The person loses control over how he speaks and what he says. Stuttering in this case is conditional and, as a rule, immediately disappears when the stressful situation passes.

Both adults and children face the problem of stuttering. Regardless of age, this defect in diction causes a lot of discomfort and inconvenience. Children often become the subject of ridicule from their classmates and receive poor grades for their oral answers in class. For adults, speech impediment can be a career barrier. The methods described below are aimed at treating stuttering in adults and children; they include psychological work and special exercises.

Causes of stuttering

The repetition of the same sounds or entire syllables is nothing more than a spasm during the operation of the articulatory apparatus. Involuntary contractions occur when trying to pronounce certain words. Speech therapists have been studying the phenomenon of stuttering for many years.

The main reasons are the following:

1. Childhood trauma during the period of active speech development - from one to three years. Stuttering in a child may actually be due to terrible events- the death of a relative, a serious illness, but sometimes occurs due to a random combination of circumstances. For example, if a baby at this age is frightened big dog or even the screams of mom or dad.
2. Biological reasons that may be associated with stuttering in a child include diseases of the brain and nervous system. Meningitis suffered in childhood, intracranial pressure, head blows - all this refers to organic preconditions. This type of stuttering is the most difficult to deal with.
3. Neurotic experiences associated with the process of speech. Such children or adults can speak completely normally in “ordinary” life, but begin to stutter in responsible situations when they need to speak in public. Logoneurosis has no “age”; stuttering in adults of this type is most common.

Doctors say that men are more likely to suffer from this speech impediment than women, linking the predisposition to the peculiarities of the functions of the nervous system and brain. Speech therapists also identify “disguised” stuttering, when a person does not swallow syllables and does not repeat them, but inserts meaningless interjections into speech - “uh-uh”, “ahem” and others. Stuttering in an adult is often masked by these phonetic pauses, which also does not make speech more beautiful.

Stuttering Center "Prichal"

The method of eliminating stuttering at the Prichal Center (patent number 2497555) in the federal resort city of Belokurikha has proven itself to be highly effective and efficient. It is there that the basis is laid psychological work with the patient to destroy established reflexes and habits in speech production. Stuttering, according to the authors of the method, is a “speech injury” accompanied by difficulty in speech movements.

The process of classes at the Stuttering Center “Prichal” is structured so harmoniously that it allows, in a relatively short period of time, 10-12 days, to bring into compliance and regulate metabolic processes in the nervous and respiratory systems, voice, and articulatory apparatuses. Due to systematic and daily practice, stuttering disappears as bad habit. Formed new program to calm speech and is fixed at the subconscious level.

The advantage of the “Prichal” Center is its location. Clean mountain air, unique mineral water, an atmosphere of goodwill, tranquility, the possibility of receiving (recommendation) the PRAC procedure (program of resonant acoustic vibrations), allow patients to deeply concentrate and concentrate, and as a result, get healthy, calm, reliable and confident Speech!!!

This simple, unique and effective course is a must for people who stutter, regardless of age. And there are a lot of them in our country (2% of the population).

How to cure stuttering in adults

Situational stuttering can occur even in a completely healthy person. However, before getting rid of a symptom, it is necessary to determine the cause of the problem. If it is associated with organic disorders, then the only ways to cure stuttering will be aimed at eliminating biological causes. For other etiologies, psychotherapy will be more effective.

The following violations must be excluded:

• stroke and its consequences;
• encephalitis, complications of the disease;
• pathologies of the oral cavity - for example, cleft lip;
• neurological disorders.

How to get rid of stuttering in adults if one of the diseases or its consequences is detected will be determined by the attending physician. Medicines, physiotherapy, and special exercises are prescribed. Some of them can also be used by people without organic pathologies. Psychological problems can only be eliminated through therapy and self-therapy aimed at combating neuroses.

Anti-stuttering exercises

Is it possible to cure stuttering at home? Yes, especially if we are not talking about serious pathological changes. Non-drug and psychological methods and exercises will tell you whether stuttering can be cured without turning to speech therapists.

1. Breathing exercises

Breathing exercises will be useful for anyone who wants to know how to cure stuttering at home. The technique is simple, a child and an adult can do it:

1. In a sitting position, lower your head slightly forward, inhale deeply through your nose, and exhale through your mouth. Repeat 10-15 times. Inhalation should be as fast as possible, and exhalation should be slow.
2. While standing, turn your head along its axis. The body should remain relaxed, arms at your sides, legs apart in a comfortable position. Repeat up to twenty times.
3. Sit on a hard surface, close your eyes and breathe, trying to force the air into the diaphragm and back.

Working with breathing helps correct diction defects by strengthening the muscles of the oral cavity. This is one of the key points in how to cure stuttering. Strong muscles are less susceptible to spasms, and this also applies to articulatory muscles.

2. Rehearsals in front of the mirror

The psychological technique used by actors and other people who work professionally with speech will also help stutterers. How to cure stuttering with rehearsals? It’s very simple: recite poems out loud, read books, rehearse speeches. Gradually your speech will become smoother.

3. Meditation

Like any neurosis, stuttering manifests itself in moments of emotional excitement, both in children and adults. Understanding this feature will help you understand how to learn to relax or teach your child before a potentially traumatic situation. Meditation practices will help you focus on the meaning of the speech, and not on the speech impediment.

4. Aromatic oils

Herbal medicine will help you calm down. Lavender, thyme and sage are recommended as mild sedatives that will help stop anxiety before having to talk. Additionally, you can drink a cup of mint tea, which also has a harmless calming effect.

5. Silence

When treating stuttering, it is necessary to maintain a speech regime so as not to overload the muscles of the mouth and larynx. It is advisable to remain silent for most of the day. For children, you can come up with special game situations, for example, pretending to be fish.

6. Massage

Treatments with a specialist or self-massage of the neck and throat area will help relieve and prevent spasms. Movements should be soft, smooth, aimed at maximally relaxing the articulatory apparatus.

Speech defects can ruin the life of both a child and an adult. It is better to show children with stuttering problems to a specialist as soon as negative symptoms appear. An adult can also visit a psychotherapist and neurologist. And exercises used at home will be useful in any case.

Watch the video in which Elena Malysheva, in the “Health” program on Channel One, tells how to cure stuttering

Smooth, intelligible speech is natural and familiar to human hearing. Inappropriate pauses, frequent repetitions or prolongations of sounds and syllables, and other deviations from the normal pace and smoothness of conversation are characteristic of adults suffering. Speech defects in adulthood are often accompanied by involuntary, impulsive movements of the limbs or tics of the facial muscles.

Since ancient times, medicine has considered speech difficulties to be a manifestation of a disease, and not a simple disadvantage. Successful and proven treatment methods for a long time did not exist, although doctors strived for it. Only towards the end of the 19th century was the phenomenon of stuttering sufficiently studied to give rise to the development of systemic measures to help patients.

The diagnosis that is made to a person who stutters takes into account not only the external manifestation of speech disorders, but also their psychoneurological origin. Speech therapists, neurologists, psychologists and psychotherapists take part in the rehabilitation of patients. Practice confirms that even persistent, long-term stuttering that began in early age, can be adjusted.

Causes

When pronouncing words, a person who stutters convulsively contracts the muscles of the speech and respiratory apparatus. The root causes of this condition are divided into two classes, depending on the type of pathology. Neurotic stuttering (logoneurosis) or organic (neurosis-like) is diagnosed.

1. Organic pathologies are associated with the presence of functional abnormalities in the functioning of the brain. Modern encephalography detects such deviations with high accuracy. The manifestations of symptoms are constant and do not depend on the circumstances of the speech act. Injuries, contusions, strokes, and tumor processes can provoke the occurrence of stuttering, the elimination of which is associated with the treatment of the underlying disease.
2. Logoneurosis occurs in adults after suffering psychological trauma, sudden shock, severe grief, deep emotional shock. Pathological speech in this case is not caused by physiology. Often a person begins to stutter at a certain moment, although before that he spoke normally. Provoking circumstances include the high importance of the conversation or the need to speak in front of an audience.

Severe fear or an attack of anger can cause temporary stuttering, which goes away over time. This type of logoneurosis is of the stress or reactive type and requires timely medical attention. If help is not provided, the risk of the pathology becoming established increases. Speech symptoms of stress stuttering are accompanied by convulsive syndromes and muscle twitching, which aggravate psychological discomfort. Normal communication becomes almost impossible, causing loss of strength in the patient and a negative reaction in the interlocutor.

The largest group of patients is those who have stuttered since childhood.

Hereditary predisposition and established habits further aggravate the patient’s condition. This does not mean that the prognosis of the disease is unfavorable. But general course Treatment may be lengthy – a year or more.

Establishing the objective causes of stuttering is within the competence of the doctor. The specialist analyzes the history of disorders - congenital or acquired, and studies the results laboratory tests. On this reliable basis, a method for individual correction of the disease will be developed.

Features of stuttering in adults

Of the ten people who stutter, seven will be men. Women are more emotionally stable; nature itself protected them from speech problems. Predisposed to the occurrence of a defect and left-handedness. These circumstances confirm the involvement of structural features of the brain in disorders of speech functions.

If the witness stressful situation observes the unexpected appearance of stuttering in a shocked person, then you can try to help the victim of circumstances. There are known cases when hot tea or a sip of alcohol restored the normal rate of speech, preventing the formation of persistent distortions. Such a " ambulance“does not exclude the need for further treatment of the patient by a neurologist.

The inner speech of an adult is always free. Stuttering that begins in adulthood only manifests itself during communication. People speak “to themselves” without difficulty, even if the defect has maximum external embodiment.

This fact speaks in favor of the possibility of a cure for the disease.

Treatment

Scientific research clearly demonstrates the possibility of overcoming speech disorders with an integrated approach to treatment. All aspects of the disease must be taken into account: social, biological, psychological. Courses of medications, classes with a speech therapist, and the participation of a neurologist and psychotherapist in working with the patient are included in correctional systems focused on healing.

Author's methods for stuttering correction

• The method of sustainable speech normalization by L.Z. Harutyunyan includes methods for the formation of new speech motor skills, coordinated with the harmonious movements of the guiding hand. The method is successfully used in many clinics for adult patients with any severity of stuttering. There is evidence of the return of fluency of speech to patients with congenital organic abnormalities.
• The method of social rehabilitation by Yu. B. Nekrasova is successful in cases of logoneurosis and requires the participation of an experienced psychotherapist. Treatment is long-term, carried out in stages, designed for groups of patients. During classes and sessions, patients learn independent techniques to stabilize breathing and the nervous system. This knowledge and skills remain useful throughout life.
• Biological method feedback(BOS) is one of the most modern and involves the use computer technology. Biofeedback is practiced for individual correction with the participation of a speech therapist. High-tech hardware systems are available in many foreign and Russian clinics. The equipment includes breathing simulators, brain activity and muscle contraction recorders. The doctor-instructor conducts required amount sessions that allow the patient to learn effective techniques self-regulation and self-control.

What you can do yourself

Treatment of stuttering is impossible without mastering self-help techniques. The patient receives optimal advice from an experienced doctor after examination and treatment.

Bet on exclusively independent work can bring success in cases of mild degrees of logoneurosis.

Methods available for use by patients themselves include auto-training and Strelnikova’s breathing exercises.

Overcoming stuttering largely depends on the person’s attitude towards achieving the desired goal. Initial assistance from specialists is relevant both in the therapeutic and methodological aspects. Positive dynamics in the condition of a person suffering from speech defects can inspire him to achieve ever higher results and lead to a complete recovery.

Below is a fragment of the NTV Morning program, which talks about the problem of stuttering: