Does Stuttering Stop Children From Doing More Than Just Speaking?

Online, May 29, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Stuttering is a disorder that affects approximately 5% of Australians, and usually develops in early childhood when children are first learning to create sentences.

"While some children recover naturally from stuttering, the disorder can persist for others. Not only does it inhibit effective communication, it can be the source of bullying, teasing, social isolation and rejection," says Dr Iverach.

Previous research by Dr Iverach and the Australian Stuttering Research Centre, University of Sydney, has shown adults who stutter report increased social phobia, however virtually nothing is known about the presence of social phobia among children who stutter.

"We need to know whether school-age children who stutter experience the same psychological difficulties as adults, and at what age these difficulties begin to emerge," says Dr Iverach.

This is the first Australian study to assess anxiety disorders in children who stutter, and will be conducted in collaboration with researchers from Macquarie University, the University of Sydney, and the University of Newcastle.

Results of this research will help psychologists and speech pathologists gain a clearer picture of the social and emotional experiences of school-age children, and will contribute to the development of more effective treatments for children who stutter in the future.

The research team are seeking children aged 7-11 years, both those who stutter and those who don't, to participate in this research.

"We really want the community to become involved. Not just the families who have experienced stuttering in their children but also those who haven't, they can all play a part in helping us understand childhood stuttering," says Dr Iverach.

Interviews available with Dr Lisa Iverach
e: [email protected]

Facts about stuttering

• Stuttering affects about 5% of the population.

• Onset typically occurs between 2 and 5 years of age when children are developing speech and language skills.

• Stuttering is thought to be influenced by problems with the neural processing underlying speech production, and tends to run in families.

• Stuttering is most amenable to treatment during the preschool years when neuronal plasticity is greatest.

• Anxiety and stress are not thought to be the cause of stuttering, but the consequences of the disorder have been found to significantly impact life and social functioning.

• Adults who stutter have been found to report significantly inflated rates of social anxiety disorder, or social phobia, than adults who do not stutter from the Australian general community.

Quote from case study

"When my stuttering child was seven he said after a day at school:

'Some kids were teasing me about my bad speaking. They said 'you can't speak properly.'

It broke my heart to think that he was made so aware of his speech problems. I've always taught his older brothers not to tease him about his stuttering but, sadly, it is unavoidable in the heat of kid's fighting. It was bad enough having kids teasing him at school, but it was worse when he got home and his brothers teased him as well."

Interview with case study available on request.

About the Centre for Emotional Health
The Centre for Emotional Health (CEH) is Australia's foremost anxiety and emotional disorder support, treatment and research hub, continually improving treatments for children and adults who live with anxiety.

The only one of its kind in Australia, the Centre's Emotional Health Clinic delivers tailored treatment and support programs for children, families and adults living with anxiety, depression and associated mental health problems, as well as practical training for health care workers, psychologists and school counsellors.

www.centreforemotionalhealth.com.au