Stammering – is it a sign of developmental disorder?

Children who stutter have less grey matter in key regions of the brain responsible for speech production than children who do not stutter, according to a new Canadian study. The study, published recen

By: Editorial Team | | Published: October 17, 2013 3:29 pm

Children who stutter have less grey matter in key regions of the brain responsible for speech production than children who do not stutter, according to a new Canadian study. The study, published recently in the peer-reviewed journal Cortex, explains how the brain is built for speech production, why people stutter, and affirms the importance of seeking early treatment. Also Read - Genes linked to common brain disorder, Chiari 1 malformation, identified

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Researchers from the University of Alberta scanned the brains of 28 children ranging from five to 12 years old, half of whom had been diagnosed with a stutter. The remaining half served as a control group. Results showed that the inferior frontal gyrus region of the brain develops abnormally in children who stutter. Also Read - Kids who take steroids at increased risk for diabetes: Know the other side effects of this medication

According to the researchers, that part of the brain is thought to control articulatory coding that takes information our brain understands about language, sounds and coding it into speech movements.

If you think about the characteristics of stuttering, repetitions of the first sounds or syllables in a word, prolongation of sounds in a word, it’s easy to hypothesise that it’s a speech-motor-control problem, said Deryk Beal, lead author of the study. Beal sees the results as a first step towards testing to see how grey matter volumes are influenced by stuttering treatment and understanding motor-sequence learning differences between children who stutter and those who do not.

The more we know about motor learning in these kids, the more we can adjust our treatment, deliver it in a shorter period of time, and deliver it more effectively, he said.

Dr Nandini Joshi, renowned audiologist and speech pathologist stammering in children is non-fluent speech that frequently occurs between the ages of four and seven years. At this age, a child is learning to string words together to form sentences. To do this the child has to internalize language syntax or grammar rules as it listens to others talk, which by no means is an easy process. Based on these learned rules, it attempts to form sentences with the intention of self-expression. At this point, dysfluency or stammering is a normal stage in the child s cognitive development. Due to some behavioral, physiological, psychological or environmental reasons, this stage persists in some children and they do not graduate to the next developmental stage. (Read: Understanding developmental disorders in children). Here are some common queries answered:

How can a parent identify that their child is suffering from the condition?

In such cases the child might repeat parts of words like; ba..ba bag , or the whole word like bag bag bag , or phrases like where are where are where are you going or insert interjections like ummm errr ahhh . In the initial stages stammering could occur when the child is overexcited or overanxious about something. This can lead to a a frustration on his/her part, be patient. (Read: Understanding your child s temper tantrums)

How will a speech pathologist diagnose the child?

There is no blood test or scan that can be used. All the child will need is an assessment by a speech pathologist.

What are the treatment options for such children?

Treatment is carried out with the help of behavior therapy sessions (A therapy where it appears like the child and doctor are playing. The play is specifically directed towards improving sub-skills necessary for fluent speech) and if started before a child reaches around 8 to 9 years of age, stammering can be easily and fully reversed. After that however management takes longer as it becomes complicated due to additional psychological factors like embarrassment, parental anxiety (this plays an important role because the child becomes extremely aware of it), feeling ashamed of the condition because of being teased about it at school etc.

What would you suggest parents do in such cases?

It is important for parents to realize that the earlier a child is treated the better. That is why I would suggest whenever a parent notices a child stammering, the cardinal rule is not to chide the child about it or ask it to talk slowly, instead take the opinion of a speech pathologist at the earliest.

I would also suggest that before taking your child for a speech consultation prepare him/her by saying you are going, not to a doctor, but to visit a place that has many toys and to meet someone who will talk and play with them.

(Read: New-age parenting: Understand your adolescent better!)

With inputs from IANS

Published : October 17, 2013 3:29 pm

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