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Description
Stuttering is an involuntary disturbance in the normal fluency and timing of speech that is not appropriate for the age of the speaker. Various patterns are seen:
- Prolongation of sounds or syllables
- Repetition of sounds or syllables or even whole words
- Pauses in the middle of words
- Blocking—either silence or pauses filled with nonsense sounds in middle of words, as if considering what to say next
- Avoidance—word substitutions that are used to skip known problem words; also called circumlocution
- Overemphasis of some syllables or words; also called tension
- Stuttering is significant when it interferes with the patient’s life in academic, occupational, or social arenas. Many children with developmental delays have dysfluencies of speech, but it is not considered stuttering unless it is present more frequently than expected for that level of disability.
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