What is a stammer and a stutter, are they the same and which celebrities suffer with the speech condition?
We rely on communication for everything in our modern world but what happens if you just can’t get your words out?
FOR a number of people, conversing can be a daily challenge as they have to battle with a stammer in order to talk to other people.
But what exactly is stammering and stuttering and how can it be treated? Here is all you need to know about the frustrating speech impediment…
What is the difference between a stammer and stutter?
Stuttering and stammering are actually just the same thing, they refer to a relatively common speech problem in childhood which can persist into adulthood.
What is a stammer?
A stammer can present itself in a few ways; it can cause the person to repeat syllables, make words sound much longer or sometimes words can get stuck and not come out at all.
It can vary in its severity in different people, some who are barely affected at all while others can find the condition debilitating.
What causes a stammer?
It’s hard to say what causes children to start stammering but the reassures parents that it won’t be caused by anything they have done.
They explain that the development of speech is complicated and depends on many factors and that problems can occur when parts of this developing system aren’t quite coordinated.
As the brain develops these issues can iron themselves out or the brain is able to compensate which is why some people “grow out” of a stammer.
How is a stammer treated?
If you have concerns about your child’s speech development the advice is to speak to your GP.
There are a number of different speech and language therapies for those who struggle with a stammer and each child would have their own tailor made treatment plan.
These could include creating a more relaxed environment to build the child’s confidence and working on the feeling associated with stammering like fear and anxiety.
What celebrities have a stammer?
Gareth Gates
Gareth famously stole the nation’s hearts on Pop Idol as he struggled to get his words out when talking but still managed to sing like an angel.
Tiger Woods
Tiger has spoken out about his struggle with stuttering as a child, he said that the “words got lost somewhere between the brain and the mouth”. He would practise speaking to his pet dog.
Emily Blunt
The Devil Wears Prada and The Young Victoria star Emily Blunt also struggled with a stutter.
One day one of her teachers suggested she try and use different accents to say her lines and she found the practice worked immensely well.
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Bruce Willis
Bruce stuttered between the ages of nine and 17 but managed to control his stutter when he performed on stage.
He said: “When I got onstage, I stopped stuttering. When I stepped off the stage, I started stuttering again.”
Nicole Kidman
Nicole admits to suffering from a stutter when she was at school and says her shyness as a child didn’t help her speech development.
Nicole’s family encouraged her to stay calm and consider her words before she spoke and slowly she overcame the problems and “grew out” of the stammer.