Despite the large number of people who stutter all over the world, much is still unknown about speech fluency disorders. However, most people who develop a stutter will eventually recover their speech fluency, especially with early intervention. Emily Blunt, Wayne Brady, Steve Harvey, Samuel L. Jackson, and James Earl Jones are among the famous people who stuttered in childhood and went on to thrive in the spotlight, even if that stutter persisted into their adult careers. 

If you or a loved one has recently received the diagnosis, this article will address your most pressing questions, including:

• How do I find service providers for a stuttering disorder?
• How can loved ones support a person who has been diagnosed with a speech and language impairment like stuttering?
• What are the treatment options for a person with a stutter?
• What electronics can help with stuttering?
• What are the mental health concerns for people who stutter?
• Where can I get more information about stuttering?

How do I find service providers for a stuttering disorder?

The first step in diagnosing a stutter is to meet with your family doctor or primary care physician. After an initial consultation, your doctor may refer you to a specialist. However, if a stammer is severe enough to impact your daily life, you might want to skip right to a specialized provider for speech therapy, also known as a speech language pathologist (SLP). 

Here are four places to find someone who can provide treatment options for stuttering:

• Primary care referrals. A doctor or family physician may have a list of local specialists they suggest and trust.
• Teachers and school administration. If the person who stutters is a student, the school or university will likely have a list of recommended specialists.
• The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has a searchable database of SLPs specializing in speech fluency disorders.
• Ability Central offers a national database of nonprofit organizations supporting people with disabilities. The Service Locator tool allows you to search a wide range of service types, including narrowing down your search by location so you can find a nonprofit organization near you.

How can loved ones support a person who has been diagnosed with a speech and language impairment like stuttering?

People who stutter all desire different levels and kinds of support. According to Stuttering Treatment and Research Trust (START), the five ways you can help a loved one are:

1. Talk to them about how they prefer to be treated. Some people who stutter want to try all treatment options available, while others prefer to accept the stutter and move on.
2. Unless you are a qualified SLP, don’t tell them how to stop stuttering.
3. Don’t make jokes about stuttering, especially about theirs.
4. Engage in active listening, and ensure they know talking to you is okay.
5. Stand up for them if they are bullied or discriminated against.

What are stuttering treatment options?

Stuttering is not a condition that requires medication or surgery. People who stutter have a number of treatment options, most of them focused on some kind of behavioral or physical therapy. These include:

• Family-centered treatment. This collaborative approach connects an SLP or other therapist with the person who stutters and their family members. In this type of therapy, families learn how to create a supportive and open environment that allows a person who stutters to speak freely without feeling pressured. 
• Speech therapy. In speech therapy, an SLP teaches a person with a stutter various mental, physical, and relaxation techniques to slow down their speech, learn to notice the stutter’s triggers, and strengthen the muscles involved in speech. 
• Motivational interviewing. Similar to traditional talk therapy, this method may help individuals who stutter better understand the thoughts and feelings associated with their stuttering and make positive changes to improve communication.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT can help a person who stutters to learn to identify and change ways of thinking that might make stuttering worse. Many therapists also use CBT techniques to address the social and mental health implications of a stutter, offering a critical outlet for strong feelings that often accompany a speech fluency disorder.
• Parent involvement. Parents, siblings, and teachers should all be included in practicing techniques at home or at school. Practice, support, and patience are all crucial to helping a child who stutters.

A qualified speech language pathologist, or SLP, will help decide which treatments are a good fit for individual needs. To learn more about what an SLP is, see How To Recognize the Early Symptoms of Stuttering.

What electronics can help with stuttering?

Many electronic devices can help people who stutter. Most focus on producing “the choral effect.” Choral speech, or speaking in unison, has shown to reduce stuttering symptoms. “The Choral Effect” induces more fluent speech in most people who stutter.

Electronic devices that mimic the choral effect include:

• Fluency Coach is free computer software for home, school, and work use.
• SpeechEasy is a wearable device that looks like a traditional hearing aid. It uses auditory delays and pitch shifts to mimic the chorus effect.
• Takalam is a wearable device that looks like an earbud. These in-ear mini speakers also produce the chorus effect.

Most people who stutter also find they do not stammer when they sing, suggesting that changes in rhythm, tone, and physical presentation (things like stance, breath control, and posture) can all improve speech fluency. This is why many apps and programs like those listed above rely on music or other auditory cues. When a person who stutters isn’t wholly focused on their stutter, they often have an easier time speaking.

In addition, Ability Central offers a searchable database of mobile devices equipped to meet the needs of people who stutter or stammer.

What are the mental health concerns for people who stutter?

People who stutter often have more frequent depressive symptoms than people who do not stutter. Particularly in school-aged children or adults in the workforce, a stutter can feel very isolating, embarrassing, or frustrating. Many people who stutter report difficulties making friends, or a tendency to avoid social situations like going out for drinks, where talking makes up most of an event’s opportunities for connection.

This is why a focusing on mental health and a solid support system are both essential to helping a person who stutters. To learn more, see Long-Term Planning: The Key to Success with a Stutter.

Where can I get more information about stuttering?

Ability Central offers a series of articles to further your knowledge about stuttering. See:

• 7 Facts You Might Not Know About Stuttering
• How To Recognize the Early Symptoms of Stuttering
• Long-Term Planning: The Key to Success with a Stutter