2023-10-14 13:44:09
In medical terms it is called ‘verbal fluency disorder’, but we all know it as stuttering, a language problem which in Italy affects around 1 million people, mostly males, and whose first symptoms are observed on average around 3 years of life . In 88% of cases it regresses naturally by 6 years of age, but when this does not happen, the disorder can have various psychological repercussions, made up of frustration, shame, fear and low self-esteem. Furthermore, those affected are often victims of ‘voice shaming’, discrimination which, especially at school age, degenerates into acts of bullying: according to international literature, in fact, stutterers are three times more at risk of discrimination and bullying than their peers. peers, and 70% of them declare that they have lost at least one employment or promotion opportunity due to the disorder linked to their voice. International Stuttering Awareness Day is dedicated to this theme and is celebrated on 22 October.
An ad hoc Observatory, created by the Vivavoce association, turns the spotlight on the phenomenon of ‘voice shaming’, the first project in Italy born “with the aim of investigating the phenomenon and becoming an authoritative observation point on the entire universe of voice and problems or discrimination connected to it, to prevent discrimination and bullying and promote a more inclusive culture towards those suffering from these disorders”, reports the association which will present the initiative on Wednesday 18 October at Palazzo Pirelli, in Milan.
But what exactly is stuttering? “The disorder derives from a difficulty in breathing which is linked to a state of anxiety – explains Dora Siervo, psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of stuttering at Humanitas Medical Care in Bergamo – the person who suffers from stuttering finds it difficult to breathe adequately and therefore he goes into apnea, occludes the vocal cords and is unable to let out the sound fluently. A condition capable of generating a further increase in anxiety, due to the fact that the person realizes the difficulty he is in and feels a emotional and psychological distress which becomes even more marked in situations characterized by extensive sociality, such as those specific to school, work and sports”, explains the expert on the Humanitas website.
What are the warning signs and what can parents do to understand if it is stuttering? “To arrive at a definitive diagnosis we need to wait at least 6 years of life. But between 3 and 6 years, in case there is a suspicion – explains the specialist – it may still be useful to subject the child to repeated ENT visits in years, through which to evaluate whether an evolution or involution of the problem is taking place. Also useful is the visit made by the paediatrician, who has known the child since birth, and by a specialist psychotherapist, who knows how to give indications on the methods of breathing to be adopted, through teachings which, in the early years of age, must be based on play. With playful activities it is in fact possible to teach the little ones techniques and tricks for breathing in a correct and relaxed way, a necessary condition for avoiding states of anxiety that are the basis of stuttering”.
The treatment is usually different in relation to the age of the subject and the objectives to be achieved, therefore with a multidisciplinary, integrated and personalized approach, which involves experts and various other actors, from the speech therapist to the psychologist, but also teachers and parents, who can play an important role.
The ‘Vivavoce’ association has also developed a list of false myths about stuttering and those who suffer from it:
1) Those who stutter are anxious and shy
Anyone who stutters is not necessarily an anxious person, even if it is true that those who stutter often live in a significantly greater state of anxiety: however, this is an effect not the cause, as those who stutter feel the block in advance even before speaking. and this can generate anxiety before the phonation itself. no study has highlighted this relationship, the onset of stuttering is absolutely not associated with character traits such as shyness or social anxiety.
2) Stuttering is caused by childhood trauma
Stuttering is a complex disorder that involves various factors from a physiological, genetic, environmental, cognitive, linguistic and emotional point of view. Traumatic events cannot therefore be the cause of stuttering, although they play an important role in the intensification of the disorder. However, there are rare cases of psychogenic stuttering caused by much more serious events such as abuse, natural disasters or fatal accidents.
3) Stuttering is caused by parental behavior
Stuttering is often experienced by parents with a sense of guilt, as if it were the consequence of a particular educational style on the part of the parent, but this is not the case. Stuttering is not a disorder of psychological origin, but has neurological causes linked to the motor control of speech.
4) Stuttering is caused by anxiety
Those who experience this difficulty very often already know the situation or the words on which they will get stuck, this naturally generates a state of anxiety and stress in them. Anxiety and stress are therefore consequent to the onset of stuttering and are not the cause, although they can certainly increase its intensity.
5) Stuttering is a symptom of lower intelligence
There are no connections whatsoever between intelligence and stuttering. This is one of the most dangerous false myths because it generates prejudices and discriminatory behaviors that can worsen the quality of life of those who stutter, often making them victims of voice shaming.
6) Stuttering is learned by imitation
Stuttering is not contagious! Numerous studies have instead confirmed the existence of a genetic component. There is therefore a familiarity, but it is not an imitative phenomenon.
7). Stuttering goes away on its own
In 88% of cases, stuttering disappears on its own within the 6th year of life, in this case we speak of natural remission, but in the remaining 12% it becomes chronic and to be defeated it will require a multi-factorial rehabilitation process which will to act on the different components that influence this very complex cognitive phenomenon.
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