Stuttering Myths

Stuttering Myths

by: Beth Avis, Ali Slaven, and Katie Hicks

Game Time!

Introduction to Stuttering Myths

• Stuttering has been prevalent for centuries and the exact cause of stuttering is still unknown.
• The mystery surrounding the cause has led to numerous myths about why stuttering occurs.

Types of Stuttering Myths

There are three types of

myths about stuttering.

These include:

• Myths the person who stutters believes.
• Myths that others believe.
• Folk myths around the world.

Myths Others Believe

Myths the Person

Who Stutters Believes

2. I am alone.

3. Stuttering is my fault.

1. I will outgrow my stuttering.

1. People who stutter

are not smart.

2. People stutter because they are nervous.

3. Children who stutter are imitating a relative who also stutters.

Fact: There is an estimated 3 million people in the United States

who stutter and 67 million people worldwide.

Fact: There is no relationship between stuttering and intelligence.

Fact: Although we do not know the exact cause of stuttering, we do know that stuttering is a biological and neurological condition.

Fact: Some children do

recover from their stuttering but this is less likely as they grow to be 7 or 8 years of age.

Fact: If a person who stutters is nervous this can make their stuttering worse, but nervousness is not the cause of the stuttering.

Fact: Stuttering is not contagious.

This phenomenon is potentially due to shared genes, not the child imitating a relative.

4. People who stutter are shy and self-conscious.

5. Stuttering is caused by bad parenting.

4. Stutterers cannot be successful at life.

5. I shouldn't talk about stuttering.

Fact: Children and adults who stutter

can be hesitant to speak, but they are

not shy by nature. Once they come to

terms with their stuttering, these same

individuals can become outspoken and

take on leadership roles.

Fact: It is not the parents' fault when a child stutters. Stress and emotional environments can exacerbate stuttering, but it isn't the cause.

Fact: Individuals who stutter are as intelligent and capable as people who do not stutter.

Fact: Speaking about stuttering to a trusted person can help reduce negative feelings about stuttering.

Folk Myths

Folk Myths

Around the World

China

South Africa

Remediation Myths

Etiological Myths

Stuttering is caused by leaving a baby out in the rain, failure to inform ancestors of pregnancy, or when the child has a short tongue.

To cure stuttering, hit the person who stutters in the mouth when the weather is cloudy.

• Can be controlled by telling the child not to move his/her feet when talking.
• Can be cured by hitting the child in the mouth with a dish towel.
• Can be cured by having the child hold nutmeg under his/her tongue.
• Stuttering is something that can be controlled by the child.
• Can be cured by placing a penny under the tongue.
• Can be cured by not speaking for a year.

• The mother eating improper foods when breast feeding the infant.
• Allowing an infant to look in the mirror.
• Tickling the child too much.
• Cutting the child's hair before he/she says his/her first words.
• The mother seeing a snake during pregnancy.
• The mother dropping the baby.
• The child being scared as a baby.
• The child being bitten by a dog.
• The work of the devil.

Mexico

Iceland

To cure stuttering, place a live cicada in the person who stutters' mouth until it sings.

Stuttering is caused by a mother drinking from a cracked cup during pregnancy. To cure, bury the hyoid bone of a lamb in the wall of your home.

FACTS about Stuttering

More FACTS

FACTS (Continued)

• Early intervention is important. Research shows the likelihood of total recovery lessens as the child grows older.
• Parents should contact a specialist in stuttering treatment if their child shows signs of stuttering as early as age two.

• Stuttering affects more than 3 million Americans and 67 million people worldwide.
• The exact cause of stuttering is still unknown, but researchers now believe it is neurologically based with a strong genetic component.
• One in 30 American children stutters. About 75 percent of them will outgrow it.

• Males are three times more likely to stutter than females.
• The average IQ of people who stutter is 14 points higher than the national average.

References

• Stuttering: Myth vs. Fact | Psych Central - Part 2. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/lib/stuttering-myth-vs-fact/2/.
• The Stuttering Foundation. (n.d.). Stuttering Myths, Beliefs and Straight Talk for Teens | Stuttering Foundation: A Nonprofit Organization Helping Those Who Stutter. Retrieved from http://www.stutteringhelp.org/stuttering-myths-beliefs-and straight-talk-teens.
• The Stuttering Home Page. (2014, October 23). Folk Myths about Stuttering. Retrieved from http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/Infostuttering/folkmyths.
• Common Myths about Stuttering - National Stuttering Association. (n.d.). Retrieved August 1, 2015, from http://www.westutter.org/who-we-help/common-myths-about-stuttering/.
• Five Myths About Stuttering. (n.d.). Retrieved August 1, 2015, from http://www.stutteringhelp.org/five-myths-about-stuttering.

Fact or Myth?

Stutterers are not good leaders.

Fact or Myth?

Stuttering affects more than 3 million Americans.

Fact or Myth?

Stuttering is caused

by bad parenting.

Fact or Myth?

Stuttering is not contagious.

Fact or Myth?

The average IQ of people who stutter is 14 points HIGHER than the national average.

Fact or Myth?

Nervousness causes stuttering.

Fact or Myth?

No one knows the exact cause of stuttering.

Fact or Myth?

People who stutter are not smart.