Is Stuttering Curable?
The Thought of Stuttering
September 18, 2022The question many people ask:
Is stuttering curable??
The answer is that the concept of cure does not apply to stuttering. The time has come to stop looking for a cure that will make stuttering disappear, because the idea that stuttering is or is not curable actually prevents people who stutter from speaking fluently.
Instead of thinking about curing stuttering, let’s look at the mechanisms that create stuttered speech. Stuttering doesn’t just happen. It doesn’t randomly come and go. So, if we explore what makes it come, we can also learn how to make it go.
Speaking is a neuro-physiological process. In this process our brains take our thoughts, transform them into language, send signals to other areas of the brain responsible for executing speech that can be heard. There’s a system that functions. If it is functioning in the natural way, the way that it is meant to function, the result is fluent speech. If the system malfunctions the outcome will be effortful speaking that may be perceived as stuttering.
Fortunately, through my experience in working with people who stutter, I have gained a practical understanding of how this system is meant to work and how it malfunctions in some people. I have also found ways to help people whose system doesn’t always function naturally to train their brain to work in a way that allows speech to flow naturally.
Retraining our brain to carry out a process that has become ingrained is not easy, but it can be done. In fact, I have seen so many of the people I work with do it. I have also met others who found the way to do it by themselves. Our brains are not so hard wired that processes can’t develop and change. It was once thought that after our brain develops in a certain way, changes are not possible. However, today we know that even senior citizens can train their brain to function in new ways.
So, it’s to your benefit to stop wasting time and getting frustrated by looking for a cure. Instead, explore what you do and think when you go to speak. Gain an understanding of the mechanisms that create stuttered speech. See what works and what doesn’t work. Develop a system that consistently creates fluent speech. If you want some guidance to help you along the way, I’d be happy to give you some personal guidance. You can schedule a personal consultation here https://calendly.com/nostut/30min
