Disorders of Fluency
(HINT: There are 3)
1) Stuttering
2) Cluttering
3) Neurogenic stuttering
Fluency
- Smooth, relatively easy (low
... [Show More] tension/effort)
- Flowing
- Continuous
- Relatively rapid
- Normally rhythmic
- Free from an excessive amount or duration of dysfluencies
NOTE: Fluency is not as extensively studied as stuttering (i.e., dysfluencies)
NOTE 2: Characteristics of fluency contrast with those of stuttering
Characteristics of Stuttering (i.e., dysfluent speech)
- Produced w/ greater than normal effort
- Halting (no flow)
- Discontinuous (not smooth)
- Slow (possibly d/t multiple dysfluencies)
- Rhythm is abnormal
Most researched fluency disorder
Stuttering
Also defined as a disorder of rhythm
Primary speech characteristics of stuttering
1) Sound/part-word/syllable repetitions (e.g., S-s-s-s-saturday or Sa-sa-sa-saturday)
2) Prolongations (e.g., Sssssssaturday)
3) Blocks (i.e., Silent prolongations)
Defining stuttering w/ nonspeech behaviours
- An anticipatory, apprehensive, and hypertonic AVOIDANCE reaction (Johnson et al., 1959)
- Stuttering is not the same thing as dysfluency; Dx is made based on consistent avoidance of speaking situations
- Stuttering begins when a child learns to avoid speech, speaking situations, and certain audiences (listeners or CPs)
- Consists of: 1) anticipating trouble in speaking situations, 2) becoming apprehensive about the prospect of speaking, 3) experiencing tension, and 4) avoiding the situation
- Avoidance results from parental disapproval/punishment of normal nonfluencies in typical speech
- Stuttering can also be defined as what a person does to avoid stuttering (e.g., avoid speech situations in order to avoid negative consequences of normal nonfluencies)
- Finally, it can also be defined as a social role conflict (Sheehan, 1970); the PWS cannot play their social roles normally
- E.g., PWS may speak more fluently when talking to pets or kids, or when acting; difficulties arise when they have to speak with their boss or strangers. Thus, trouble playing different social roles
Defining stuttering w/ unspecified behaviours
- Some definitions of stuttering don't specify behaviours (speech or nonspeech); instead refer to stuttering molar or global terms
- Central notion to these definitions is an expert judgment; an expert's judgment that stuttering has occurred is the definition of stuttering (i.e., stuttering is what the expert says it is)
- Stuttering may be defined as a MOMENT (moment of stuttering observed by an expert during some time duration); note, this does not specify WHAT the behaviour was
- Stuttering may also be seen as an EVENT, as recognized by an expert
- While the terms MOMENT and EVENT are used, they don't help us measure the beahviours objectively [Show Less]