From what an adult can begin to stutter. Causes and treatment of stuttering in adults

Both adults and children face the problem of stuttering. Regardless of age, this defect in diction causes a lot of discomfort and inconvenience. Children often become the subject of ridicule of their classmates, receive poor grades for oral answers in the classroom. For adults, lack of speech can be a career barrier. The methods described below are aimed at treating stuttering in an adult and in a child, they include psychological work and special exercises.

Causes of stuttering

The repetition of the same sounds or entire syllables is nothing more than a spasm during the operation of the articulatory apparatus. Involuntary abbreviations occur during an attempt to pronounce certain words. Speech therapists have been researching the phenomenon of stuttering for many years.

The main reasons are listed as follows:

1. Childhood injuries during the period of active speech development - from one to three years. Stuttering in a child can be associated with really terrible events - the death of a relative, a serious illness, but sometimes it occurs due to an accidental combination of circumstances. For example, if a baby at this age is frightened by a big dog or even the cries of mom or dad.
2. Biological causes that may be associated with stuttering in a child include diseases of the brain, nervous system. Meningitis suffered in childhood, intracranial pressure, blows to the head - all this refers to organic prerequisites. Dealing with this kind of stuttering is the hardest thing.
3. Neurotic experiences associated with the process of speech. Such children or adults can talk quite normally in “ordinary” life, but begin to stutter in responsible situations when it is necessary to speak, to speak in public. Logoneurosis has no “age”, stuttering in an adult of this type is most common.

Doctors say that men are more likely to suffer from this lack of speech than women, linking the predisposition to the peculiarities of the functions of the nervous system and brain. Speech therapists also distinguish “disguised” stuttering, when a person does not swallow syllables and does not repeat them, but inserts meaningless interjections into speech - “uh”, “khem” and others. Stuttering in an adult is often masked by these phonetic pauses, which is why speech also does not become more beautiful.

Stuttering Center “Prichal”

The method of eliminating stuttering of the Center "Prichal" (patent No. 2497555) of the resort city has proven itself to be highly effective and effective. federal significance Belokurikha. It is there that the psychological work with the patient is based on the destruction of the existing reflexes and habits in the production of speech. Stuttering, according to the authors of the method, is a “speech injury”, accompanied by difficulty in speech movements.

The process of classes in the Stuttering Center “Prichal” is built so harmoniously that it allows for a relatively short period of time, 10-12 days, to bring into line and regulate metabolic processes in the nervous and respiratory systems, voice, articulatory apparatus. Due to systematic and daily practice, stuttering disappears as bad habit. A new program for calm speech is being formed and fixed at the subconscious level.

The advantage of the Center "Prichal" is its location. Clean mountain air, unique mineral water, the atmosphere of goodwill, calmness, the possibility of taking (recommendedly) the PRAK procedure (resonant-acoustic vibrations program), allow patients to deeply concentrate and concentrate, and as a result, get a healthy, calm, reliable and confident Speech !!!

This simple, unique and effective course is a must for stutterers, regardless of age. And there are a lot of them in our country (2% of the population).

How to cure stuttering in adults

Situational stuttering can occur even in a perfectly healthy person. However, before getting rid of the symptom, it is necessary to determine the cause of the problem. If it is associated with organic disorders, then the ways to cure stuttering will be the only ones aimed at eliminating biological causes. With a different etiology, psychotherapy will be more effective.

The following violations must be excluded:

• stroke and its consequences;
• encephalitis, complications of the disease;
• pathologies of the oral cavity - for example, cleft lip;
• neurological disorders.

How to get rid of stuttering in adults, if one of the diseases or its consequences is found, the attending physician will determine. Medications, physiotherapy, special exercises are prescribed. Some of them can be used by people without organic pathologies. Only therapy and self-therapy aimed at combating neurosis relieves psychological problems.

Stuttering exercises

Can stuttering be cured at home? Yes, especially if we are not talking about serious pathological changes. Non-drug and psychological techniques, exercises will tell you whether stuttering can be cured without contacting speech therapists.

1. Breathing exercises

Breathing exercises will come in handy for anyone who wants to know how to cure stuttering at home. The technique is simple, it can be performed by a child and an adult:

1. In a sitting position, slightly lower your head forward, inhale deeply through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Repeat 10-15 times. The inhalation should be as fast as possible, and the exhalation should be slow.
2. Standing turn your head on its axis. The body should remain relaxed, hands at the seams, legs apart in a comfortable position. Repeat up to twenty times.
3. Sit on a hard surface, close your eyes and breathe, trying to push the air with force into the diaphragm and back.

Working with breathing helps to correct the defect of diction by strengthening the muscles of the oral cavity. This is one of the key points in how to cure stuttering. Strong muscles are less prone to spasms, this also applies to articulatory muscles.

2. Rehearsals in front of a mirror

The psychological technique used by actors and other people who work professionally with speech will also help stutterers. How to cure stuttering with rehearsal? Very simple: say poems aloud, read books, rehearse performances. Gradually, your speech will become smoother.

3. Meditation

Like any neurosis, stuttering manifests itself in moments of emotional excitement, both in children and adults. Understanding this feature will help you understand how to learn to relax or teach your child before a potentially traumatic situation. Meditation practices will help you focus on the meaning of the speech, and not on the defect of speech.

4. Aromatic oils

Phytotherapy will help you calm down. Lavender, thyme and sage are recommended as mild sedatives that will help you stop worrying about the need to talk. Additionally, you can drink a cup of mint tea, which also has a harmless calming effect.

5. Silence

In the treatment of stuttering, it is necessary to maintain the speech mode so as not to overload the muscles of the mouth and larynx. Most of the day it is desirable to be silent. For children, you can come up with special game situations, for example, portray fish.

6. Massage

Procedures by a specialist or self-massage of the neck and throat area will help relieve and prevent spasms. Movements should be soft, smooth, aimed at maximally relaxing the articulatory apparatus.

Speech defects can ruin the life of both a child and an adult. Babies with stuttering problems should be shown to a specialist as soon as negative symptoms appear. An adult can also visit a psychotherapist and a neurologist. And exercises used at home will be useful in any case.

Both children and adults suffer from such a common neuropsychiatric disease as logoneurosis. The disease greatly complicates life, as it interferes with normal interpersonal communication. Stuttering in adults is expressed in speech defects and incorrect pronunciation of words, which negatively affects not only the communication process, but also the emotional state of a person.

The nature of the occurrence of speech defects

Problems with speech and clear pronunciation have arisen in people at all times. In the 19th century doctors began to pay special attention to such a phenomenon as stuttering, believing that this is not just a speech defect, but a manifestation of a psychosomatic disease, however, it was only possible to develop an effective treatment system that could help people with stuttering in the 20th century.

The classification of diseases, adopted throughout the world, gives the following definition of stuttering: it is a speech pathology, accompanied by difficulty in pronunciation of words, stretching or repeated repetition of parts of a sentence.

When making a diagnosis of organic stuttering, doctors take into account not only external speech defects, but also signs of a neurological disorder, since problems with the nervous system underlie the development of this disease. To get rid of this pathology, a person with stuttering will have to seek advice from several doctors at the same time: a speech therapist, a neuropathologist, a neurologist and a psychotherapist.

Speech therapy examination helps to identify the type of violations that occur during the pronunciation of words. Depending on the rate of breathing, the work of the vocal cords and the characteristics of articulation, 2 forms of the defect can be distinguished in the structure.

1. Tonic form - when speaking, a person breaks syllables and begins to stutter on vowels, accompanying his speech with long pauses.
2. Clonic form - in the course of communication, the patient stumbles all the time on consonant sounds, repeating them several times in a row.

A stutterer makes an incredible effort to put his thoughts into words, literally pushing phrases out of his throat.

Doctors found that the patient conducts internal monologues without any problems. Among adults, the problem occurs in those people who could not cure this disease in childhood. With age, stuttering becomes a feature of human psychosomatics. The disease often develops nervous ground or due to a stroke, prolonged neurosis.

The stronger sex is at risk. In men, this disorder occurs 5 times more often than in women. fair half humanity. This is due to the peculiarity of the structure and development of the brain: women are more emotionally resistant to stress.

Causes of stuttering in adults

Speech, accompanied by spasms, creates a lot of problems for a person, preventing normal communication and expression of one's thoughts. Modern doctors pay special attention to the study of factors that can provoke the development of the disease. Causes of stuttering are divided into 2 large groups: organic lesions and neurological disorders.

Organic lesions

Organic lesions of the occurrence of stuttering are associated with a disruption in the functioning of human brain activity.

• Contusion or any other physical injury that provokes malfunctions of the nervous system. Bruises, blows and concussion can cause stuttering, leading to speech disorders in a person. This can happen both in childhood and in adulthood.
• Diseases leading to impaired cerebral circulation (stroke, hypertensive crisis, heart attack, diabetes). These ailments disrupt the functioning of the brain and the process of transmitting information. There is a violation of speech, human motor ability, muscle motility. In this case, stuttering becomes a side effect of another, more serious illness.
• Tumor processes can cause speech disorders and stuttering. Progressing, neoplasms disrupt the functioning of the brain, thereby damaging the speech and articulation abilities of a person.

Neurological disorders

At the heart of neurological disorders lie the experiences of the individual.

Experiencing great nervous tension and prolonged depression, being exposed to systemic neuroses, a person provokes the occurrence of stuttering.

• Prolonged exposure to stress. pace modern life negatively affect human health. The psyche suffers especially. Acutely experiencing failures, discord with colleagues, family quarrels and problems with children, we expose ourselves to strong feelings, experiencing daily stress, which negatively affects our general well-being, including our speech abilities.
• Psychological trauma. We experience neuropsychological shock as a result of losing loved one, an accident that happened, sexual abuse, childhood resentment inflicted on us in the past. The experience affects not only our emotional state, behavior, but also the ability of the speech apparatus.
• Nervous strain. People who lead an active social and business life, are forced to make public speeches, and speak to a large audience face stuttering during excitement.

To prescribe effective treatment, it is important to accurately establish the factors that provoked the development of stuttering. This happens during individual consultations with the attending physician, who then selects the most effective methods of treatment.

Types of manifestations of stuttering

In adulthood, the symptoms of stuttering are exacerbated by the external manifestation of the disease. Any attempt to take part in a conversation causes a strong nervous tension in a person, accompanied by a facial tic, loss of voice, trembling of the muscles of the body, problems with the vocal cords and speech apparatus.

One of the most common types of stuttering is the repeated repetition of letters, which disrupts the overall fluency of speech. Logoneurosis develops in childhood. It can be either a single manifestation or a constant deviation, provoked by anger, anger, irritation.

Others, having spent their entire childhood in terrible conditions, begin to stutter only in adulthood. The main reason lies in the peculiarities of the human psyche, which reliably stores information about the trauma experienced. Under the influence of concomitant factors (increased suspiciousness, anxiety, sudden mood swings, panic), blocking processes are triggered in the brain, which already in adulthood have a devastating effect on a person’s speech ability, provoking the development of a disease, the basis of which was laid once in childhood.

The hereditary factor can also disrupt the fluency of speech. Stuttering in most cases is inherited. In an adult, speech convulsions during stuttering can occur due to infectious diseases(meningitis, scarlet fever, pneumonia, encephalitis). In speech, there are long pauses caused by spasms, the smoothness of speech disappears, the pronunciation of vowels and consonants is given with great difficulty. A person can be very worried and complex. Stuttering is determined by the additional efforts that the patient makes to pronounce this or that phrase.

Treatment Methods

Stuttering, like any other disease, negatively affects the personal and professional life person. It is difficult for the patient to get a job and realize himself professionally, it is difficult to communicate with colleagues, it is not always possible to build strong family relationships.

It should be noted that a person with stuttering will require enormous internal forces aimed at healing. In addition to the therapy prescribed by the attending physician, Full time job above oneself. Treatment of stuttering neurosis begins with the fact that a person must be aware of the existence of a problem and recognize that he needs medical care. Many people mistakenly believe that stuttering cannot be cured. Doctors believe that stuttering can be effectively cured in adulthood using complex therapy. Believe in your own strength and do not retreat from the intended goal.

Homework should be a continuation of general treatment and carried out under the supervision of an appropriate specialist. At the first stage, all the forces of the patient will be thrown into the fight against fear and excitement that arises in anticipation of communication. To do this, you can use auto-training, which relieves tension, revives a sense of self-confidence, and helps to believe in success.

At the next stage, using various special techniques, it is necessary to develop the system correct breathing. The most famous technique is the gymnastics of Alexandra Strelnikova. Various breathing exercises help to cope with a huge number of diseases, including stuttering.

Gymnastics is aimed at relieving tension in the facial muscles and fighting spasms. The only thing that is required from a person is regular diligent repetition of exercises.

The next step is to work on the correct pronunciation of words. Activities such as loud singing and reading texts will help you with this, during which the articulatory apparatus, vocal cords are perfectly warmed up and the respiratory rhythm is established.

Only a specialist who constantly monitors his adult patient can choose the right self-study that will have a healing effect.

Psychotherapeutic work

Psychotherapy of adult stuttering is an effective method of dealing with the problem, since logoneurosis is partly related to mental problems. Many doctors during recovery sessions pay great attention to psychological work. It can be both individual and group lessons. Given the psychological and psycholinguistic aspects of the mechanisms of stuttering, the most effective methods work recognized 2 psychological reception.

• rational perception. Work with the patient is aimed at helping a person learn to live calmly with the problem of stuttering, not considering himself worse or more flawed than others. During the sessions, the doctor teaches his ward to use the knowledge gained in the course of rehabilitation and not be ashamed of the fact that he visits a psychotherapist.
• Suggestive help. The main technique used in this therapy is hypnosis. In order to correctly establish the factors that influenced the development of the disease, the patient is immersed in a trance state. During hypnosis, a person ceases to control his consciousness, plunging into memories, describing forgotten emotional breakdowns and experiences. The doctor accurately determines the internal attitudes that have a destructive effect on a person on a psycho-emotional level, preventing him from normal communication with people around him. An important role for the implementation of hypnosis is played by the trust between the doctor and the patient, as well as the skill level of the specialist.

Speech therapy work

Classes with a speech therapist will help eliminate defects and restore the functioning of the speech apparatus. It is a mistake to think that this method of treatment is only suitable for children. Adults who want to speak beautifully are no less successful with a speech therapist. Doctors warn not to expect immediate results. Treatment will require considerable time, perseverance and strength.

First, the doctor and the patient will work on restoring the speech skill. A person with a stutter will re-learn how to pronounce all the letters of the alphabet, gradually putting them into words and forming sentences. The patient must independently, without hesitation, learn to pronounce vowels and consonants, mastering the correct gestures and facial expressions, learning the basics of breathing, working on the timbre and sonority of his voice.

At the second stage of rehabilitation, the stuttering patient will have to put the acquired knowledge into practice. The patient will have to read aloud a lot, actively participate in conversations, express his opinion. The final stage is bringing the acquired skills to automatism, including modeling various life situations that the patient may encounter.

Stuttering- violation of speech, which is characterized by frequent repetition of sounds, syllables and words or their lengthening. There is also a frequent stop and indecision in speech, breaking its rhythmic and smooth flow.

A synonym for stuttering is logoneurosis (obsessive fear of communication).

Statistics

Logonosis affects children more often than adults. Moreover, the prevalence of stuttering among children varies from 0.75 to 7.5%. These figures are greatly influenced by the place and living conditions, as well as age.

Notably, boys are three to four times more likely to stutter than girls.

Also, pupils of orphanages are more prone to stuttering than children attending ordinary kindergartens and schools. In this case, an early separation from the parents plays an important role, so the child's psyche is injured (the child receives stress).

Whereas in rural areas, stuttering among children is much less common, which is associated with a calm environment.

Stuttering in most children goes away as they grow up, so only 1-3% of the adult population suffers from it.

It is noteworthy that the incidence of logoneurosis in siblings is 18%. That is, there is a hereditary predisposition to the disease. Mentions of stuttering reach us from ancient times. It turns out that some Egyptian pharaohs stuttered, the Persian king Bath, the prophet Moses (judging by the description, he had a speech defect similar to stuttering), the philosopher and orator Demosthenes, the Roman poet Virgil, Cicero and other prominent figures of ancient times.

Stuttering is also mentioned in the writings of Hippocrates: he believed that the cause of stuttering is the accumulation of moisture in the brain. Whereas Aristotle (the founder of scientific philosophy) believed that logoneurosis occurs due to improper concussion of the articulatory apparatus.

However, the true causes of the development of logoneurosis remained unexplored until the beginning of the nineteenth century. Therefore, both folk methods (spells, ointments, wearing amulets, and others) and truly barbaric methods were used to treat stuttering: cutting the frenulum of the tongue or removing part of its muscles (the proposal of the German surgeon Johann Friedrich Dieffenbach). And such cruel methods of treatment did help some patients.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, American and French scientists developed therapeutic exercises that helped get rid of stuttering. But she did not give instant results, so she was not successful.

However, the greatest contribution to the study of stuttering was made by Russian scientists - psychiatrist I. A. Sikorsky (for the first time he systematized all knowledge about stuttering) and physiologist I. P. Pavlov. Thanks to their work, the reasons for the development of stuttering became clear. Also at the beginning of the twentieth century, special techniques were developed to help get rid of stuttering and other speech disorders. In addition, a new direction in medicine was founded - "Speech therapy" (the science of speech disorders). And all this is the merit of Russian scientists.

However, much is still unknown. For example, it is not explained in any way, the fact that most patients with logoneurosis do not stutter when they speak by themselves, while singing or speaking in chorus.

Celebrities who stutter

An interesting case occurred with Bruce Ulysses: he developed a stutter in high school after his parents divorced. However, while participating in the productions of the theater circle, he noticed that he was no longer stuttering on stage. It was this fact that spurred him to intensive studies in the theater circle and determined the further choice of profession.

Also, famous people suffered from stuttering, but defeated their ailment: Winston Churchill (became a great orator and was awarded nobel prize in Literature), King George VI, Sir Isaac Newton, Elvis Presley, Samuel L. Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Gerard Depardieu, Anthony Hopkins and others.

Anatomy and physiology of speech

The speech apparatus includes the central and peripheral sections.

Central department

• Frontal gyrus the cerebral cortex is responsible for the work of the muscles and ligaments involved in the formation of oral speech (sounds, syllables, words) - Broca's center (motor center). During the first year of a child's life, it gradually activates.
• Temporal gyrus responsible for the perception of their own speech and the speech of others - Wernicke's auditory center.
• parietal lobe The cerebral cortex provides understanding of speech.
• Occipital lobe The cerebral cortex (visual area) is responsible for the assimilation of written language.
• Subcortical nodes(kernels of gray matter located under the hemispheres of the brain) are responsible for the rhythm and expressiveness of speech.
• Conducting paths(groups of nerve fibers) connect different parts of the brain and spinal cord.
• cranial nerves depart from the brain stem (located at the inner base of the skull) and innervate the muscles of the speech apparatus, neck, heart, and respiratory organs.

On a note!

Right-handers have a more developed left hemisphere, while left-handers have a more developed right.

Peripheral department

• respiratory department(serves to supply air) includes the trachea, chest, along with the bronchi and lungs. Speech is formed during exhalation, so it becomes longer than inhalation in the ratio of 1:20 or 1:30.
• Voice department(serves to form the voice) consists of the larynx and vocal cords.
• Articulatory department(forms characteristic speech sounds) consists of tongue, lips, upper and mandible, hard and soft palate, teeth and their alveoli (dental socket in which the tooth is located).

* Language- the most mobile organ of articulation. His muscles make it possible to change the shape, degree of tension and position. It is involved in the formation of all vowels and almost all consonants.

To the bottom oral cavity a fold of mucous membrane extends from the middle of the lower surface of the tongue - the frenulum, which limits the movement of the tongue.

* Hard and soft palate, making various movements, modify the shape of the oral cavity, form cracks and bonds. Thus, they contribute to the formation of sounds.

The coordinated work of the peripheral and central speech apparatus forms a speech circle.

Mechanism of speech formation

In the motor part of the speech of the brain (Broca's center), an impulse (signal) arises, which goes through the cranial nerves to the peripheral parts of speech (respiratory, vocal, articulatory).

The respiratory department is the first to move: a stream of exhaled air breaks through the closed vocal cords, so they begin to oscillate. Thus, the voice is formed. Its height, strength and timbre depend on the frequency of vibration of the vocal cords.

The resulting sounds are converted in speech resonators: mouth, nose and pharynx. Due to their structure, resonators can change in shape and volume, giving speech sounds timbre, loudness and distinctness.

Then, according to the principle of feedback, the formed sounds and words with the help of hearing, as well as sensations, go from the peripheral speech organs to the associative department (Wernicke's auditory center, the parietal lobe of the cerebral cortex), where they are analyzed.

Thus, a speech circle is formed: impulses go from the center to the periphery → from the periphery to the center → from the center to the periphery - and so on along the ring.

And if an error occurs somewhere, then the central parts of speech are informed in what position in the peripheral speech organ the error occurred. Then a signal is sent from the central section to the peripheral speech organs, which accurately gives the correct pronunciation. Such a mechanism operates until the work of the speech organs and auditory control are coordinated (speech synchronization occurs).

The mechanism of development of stuttering

A complex and incompletely established process.

It is believed that under the influence of causes or provoking factors, Broca's center is overexcited, and its tone increases. Therefore, the speed of his work increases, and the speech circle opens.

Further, overexcitation is transferred to areas of the cerebral cortex, which are located nearby and are responsible for motor activity. This leads to the fact that there are muscle cramps in the peripheral part of speech (tongue, lips, soft palate and others). Then Broca's center relaxes again, closing the speech circle.

That is, a person begins to stutter due to a sudden violation of the coordinated work of the speech organs when pronouncing sounds, which is caused by a spasm that has arisen in one of the sections of the speech apparatus (language, palate, and others).

It is noteworthy that both muscle spasms involved in the formation of sounds and respiratory ones can occur. As a result, not only stuttering develops, but also breathing is disturbed (there is a feeling of lack of air).

Stuttering mainly occurs on consonants, less often on vowels. And most often hesitation occurs at the beginning or middle of speech.

New theory in the development of stuttering

Professor Gerald Maguire from the University of California conducted research and found that people with stuttering have elevated levels of dopamine (a mediator that controls the brain). And if this theory is confirmed, then perhaps soon there will be medicines lowering dopamine levels. That is, he drank a pill - and you can go on stage to orate.

Reasons for the development of stuttering

remain the subject of debate. But the opinions of scientists agree that a combination of several factors plays a role in the occurrence of stuttering: heredity, the state of the nervous system, the features of the formation of speech, and so on.

However, even the presence of causes does not always lead to the development of stuttering, they are only triggers. And whether stuttering will develop depends on the initial state of the central nervous system and the tone of Broca's motor speech center.

Stuttering in children

Occurs most often. In general, the peak of the onset of the disease occurs in preschool age. The fact is that a child is born with underdeveloped cerebral hemispheres and cerebral cortex. Only by the age of five, they are finally formed.

Also, in young children, the processes of excitation prevail over the processes of inhibition. Therefore, excitation is easily transmitted from sensory fibers to motor ones. As a result, reactions in the form of a "short circuit" sometimes develop.

In addition, the movements of the organs of articulation (tongue, lips, and others) in babies are weak and not elastic enough, and their work is poorly coordinated.

Hearing plays a leading role in the formation of speech, starting to function from the first hours of a newborn's life. However, children are not aware of the difference between the sounds, syllables and words of others. Therefore, they do not understand speech well, mixing one sound with another.

In addition, at the age of 2 to 4 years, there is an intensive development of the child, the active formation of sound pronunciation and speech in general. However, at this age, the speech function is still not sufficiently formed. Therefore, the load on the nervous system increases, and its work may fail.

It is these factors that explain the instability of the child's speech and the high probability of the formation of its violations.

Risk factors for stuttering in children

They create only the prerequisites for the formation of stuttering.

Emotionally labile nervous system

Toddlers are whiny, they have increased irritability, restless sleep and poor appetite, they are attached to their mother.

An abrupt change of scenery can provoke the development of stuttering in children: the beginning of a visit to a kindergarten, a move, a long absence of a mother, and so on.

Early start of speech

At one year old, children have a large lexicon(normally, the baby correctly pronounces only 3-5 words). In the future, such babies quickly increase their vocabulary: at 1.5-1.8 they already speak in detailed phrases or whole sentences.

In this case, the crumbs lose their breath during the pronunciation of a long phrase. After all, he wants to tell everything at once. However, his tongue and lungs cannot yet cope with such a volume of speech.

Late start of speech

The first correctly pronounced words in such babies appear only by the age of two, and detailed phrases - not earlier than three years. Stuttering is caused by motor disinhibition of the nervous system. Therefore, babies often speak indistinctly and do not pronounce sounds well.

Stuttering in a family member

There is an imitation of the child's parents, brothers or sisters.

Insufficient emotional contact of the child with others

Children receive insufficient affection and warmth. Adults do not listen to the baby, being busy with their own affairs. As a result, the baby feels unwanted, so he may start to stutter so that his relatives pay attention to him.

Overly strict attitude of adults to the child

Often dads “sin” with this. Life is strictly according to the schedule: getting up, sleeping, the barracks system of punishments and so on. As a result, the baby grows shy and stiff, and is also afraid to make an independent decision so as not to anger the strict parent.

Features of the formation of speech

At the age of 2 to 6 years, kids often repeat or stretch out words and syllables, and sometimes insert extra sounds that do not carry any semantic or emotional load (“well”, “a”, “here”, and so on) As a result, such a habit is fixed, creating the prerequisites for the development of stuttering.

The physical condition of the child

Frequent colds, development allergic reactions, the presence of congenital pathology pushes the baby to the realization that he is "not like everyone else." Because there are often restrictions. After all, mom constantly pulls back: “Don’t eat orange / chocolate, because the rash will appear again”, “You can’t play in the yard, you’ll catch a cold” and so on. As a result, the child closes in on himself.

In addition, frequent visits to medical facilities lead to the development of “white coat phobia”.

Mastery of two or more languages ​​at the same time

Especially if the parents at home speak different languages. In this case, the coordinated work of speech motor centers is disrupted. Since the baby still does not speak his native language well enough.

Excessive demands on the child

Sometimes parents want to demonstrate the extraordinary abilities of their child to all their acquaintances and friends. Therefore, they are forced to memorize complex poems and recite them at a birthday or other family celebration. Whereas in a baby, the corresponding areas of the brain have not yet matured, and the muscles of the articulatory apparatus are not ready for such a load.

gender

Boys are more likely to develop stuttering than girls. Because girls have more short time motor functions are formed: they start walking and talking earlier, they have better developed motor skills (movement) of the fingers. Apparently, therefore, in girls, the nervous system is more resistant to various factors that provoke the development of stuttering.

left-handedness

The harmonious interaction between the symmetrical structures of the brain of the right and left hemispheres is weakened. Therefore, the child's nervous system becomes more vulnerable, which is reflected in the development of speech. Moreover, the risk of stuttering increases if a left-handed baby was tried to retrain to use his right hand with rough methods.

Probably, the weakness of some brain structures that are involved in the formation of speech is inherited.

Reasons for the development of stuttering in children

There are several groups, but the causes can often be combined.

The state of the central nervous system

Children who have had diseases that affect the nervous system are prone to stuttering: intrauterine hypoxia, trauma during childbirth, traumatic brain injury, infectious processes (caused by viruses, protozoa, bacteria, fungi) and other pathologies.

After past illnesses, there are residual effects that lead to structural changes in the brain (organic damage). As a result, insufficiency of the motor parts of the brain (for example, Broca's center) develops in varying degrees of severity. Therefore, the transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles from the central parts of speech is disrupted. While smooth speech requires coordinated work and maturity of the central nervous system.

Such children are emotionally labile, impressionable, they have an increased level of anxiety, they do not adapt well to new conditions (for example, the beginning of attending a kindergarten), they are timid, worried, and so on.

Past mental trauma

Under the influence of stress, the coordinated redistribution of muscle tone involved in the formation of speech is disrupted. That is, muscles contract and relax inconsistently. Therefore, there are convulsive repetitions of sounds, syllables and words.

Moreover, stress can be chronic or acute (fear, constant fear, death of a loved one, family troubles, and others), and the strength of its impact does not matter.

Stuttering in adults

It occurs infrequently - and, as a rule, originates in childhood. However, logoneurosis often appears in adults, causing the development of considerable problems: they withdraw into themselves, become timid and indecisive, avoid communication with people, are afraid of public speaking, and so on.

Risk factors for stuttering in adults

Male

Men are more likely to develop stuttering than women. Professor I.P. Sikorsky explains this by the fact that in women the left hemisphere, in which Broca's motor center is located, is much better developed than in men.

hereditary predisposition

There is a congenital weakness of the central parts of speech, therefore, when exposed to adverse factors(for example, stress) their work is disrupted.

Causes of stuttering in adults

stressful situations

The heavy loss of a loved one, a traffic accident that occurred before our eyes, military operations, an earthquake, disasters, and so on.

Under the influence of stress, the coordination of the muscles responsible for the formation of sound is disrupted: they contract and relax inconsistently. As a result, muscle cramps develop. That is, there is a relationship with the emotional state of a person.

Diseases of the central nervous system

Traumatic brain injuries, neuroinfections (viral, bacterial, fungal, affecting the nervous system), encephalitis, meningitis and others. Since the transmission of nerve impulses from the brain along the nerve pathways to the muscles responsible for the formation of speech is disrupted.

In adults, strokes or the presence of brain tumors (benign, malignant) play an important role in the occurrence of stuttering, if the central parts of speech are affected. Since there is a mechanical obstacle to the transmission of a nerve impulse.

Moreover, in these cases, there is no relationship between stuttering and emotional stress. That is, a person stutters at rest, alone with himself, while singing and speaking in chorus.

Types of stuttering

They are divided according to the form of seizures, clinical manifestations and the course of the disease.

Types of stuttering in the form of seizures

• Clonic stuttering- when several short-term convulsions, following friend after another, lead to involuntary repetition of individual syllables and sounds.
• tonic stutter- if the muscles are contracted for a long time and strongly. The result is speech delay.
• mixed form develops when both types of speech impairment are combined.

In addition, sometimes violent and involuntary movements (convulsions) of the muscles of the face and / or limbs join the spasms of the muscles of the tongue, lips and soft palate.

Types of stuttering downstream

• Constant - stuttering, having arisen, is constantly present in all situations and in forms of speech.
• Wavy - stuttering does not disappear until the end: it appears, then disappears.
• Recurrent (recurrent) - a speech defect, having disappeared, reappears. Sometimes after fairly long periods of speech without hesitation.

Types of stuttering by clinical forms

There are two forms of logoneurosis: neurotic and neurosis-like. The separation is based on different reasons and mechanisms of development.

neurotic form

Patients have no data on the presence of intrauterine hypoxia or birth trauma in the past.

The impetus for the development of stuttering is mental trauma (acute or chronic stress) or the early active introduction of a second language of communication (at 1.5-2.5 years). That is, the disease is functional in nature, and brain structures are not affected. Therefore, this form of stuttering is more treatable.

Characteristics of children prone to the development of a neurotic form of stuttering

Initially, such children are timid, impressionable, anxious, touchy, irritable, whiny, afraid of the dark, do not stay in a room without adults, have difficulty getting used to a new environment, and do not sleep well. Also, their mood changes quickly, and more often - downwards.

Mental, physical and motor development in children is age appropriate. However, the formation of their speech occurs somewhat earlier: the first words appear by 10 months of age, phrasal speech - by 16-18 months. 2-3 months after the start of phrasal speech, children are already building complex sentences and speech structures.

The pace of speech is accelerated: children "choke", do not finish the endings of words, skip prepositions and words. In addition, speech is sometimes slurred.

Symptoms

In children the disease occurs suddenly, usually between the ages of 2 and 6 years.

Immediately after a psychological trauma, which becomes the “last straw”, the child stops talking for a while (mutism). At the same time, an expression of fear is “written” on his face. Then, when the child begins to speak again, it is already stuttering. The kid becomes irritable and whiny, sleeps badly, is afraid to talk.

With the introduction of a second language of communication, the child receives mental stress, as the load on the speech apparatus increases. Whereas some kids in effect age features insufficiently mastered their native language.

Stuttering in crumbs increases when exposed to any stress, emotional stress or anxiety. That is, the course of the disease is undulating: periods of stuttering alternate with light intervals when the child speaks without hesitation. Whereas if the baby is sick (his body temperature rises, he coughs, and so on), then his stuttering does not worsen.

The neurotic form of the disease proceeds both favorably and unfavorably. In the first case, a cure occurs, and in the second, the disease becomes chronic.

In the chronic course of the disease over time, stuttering becomes more severe. By the age of 6-7, children are reluctant to talk to new people. And at the age of 11-12, children's behavior changes dramatically: they withdraw into themselves. Because they are well aware of their defect and are afraid to make an unfavorable impression on the interlocutor.

Children develop logophobia - fear of talking with an obsessive expectation of speech failures. That is, a vicious circle is formed: convulsive stammering in speech leads to the emergence of negative emotions, and they, in turn, increase stuttering.

In adults logophobia becomes obsessive. Therefore, stuttering arises only from the thought that there is a need for communication or when remembering unsuccessful speech contacts in the past. As a result, adults feel socially inferior, they have a constantly low mood, there is a fear of speech, so they often consciously refuse to communicate at all.

neurosis-like form

In patients from the anamnesis (data from the past), it turns out that the mother suffered severe toxicosis during pregnancy, there was a threat of miscarriage, asphyxia (suffocation) or trauma during childbirth, and so on. That is, there is an organic brain lesion (dystrophic changes in brain cells), so this form of stuttering is more difficult to treat.

For a neurosis-like form of stuttering, the manifestations of a speech defect do not depend on external factors (for example, emotional stress).

Characteristics of children prone to the development of a neurosis-like form of stuttering

In the first years of life, such children are noisy, sleep poorly, restless, fussy. Their physical development somewhat behind their peers. They have awkward movements and poor coordination, they are disinhibited and easily excited, irritable and quick-tempered.

Children do not tolerate heat, riding in transport and stuffiness. They quickly get tired, and also exhausted during physical and / or intellectual stress.

They have a delay in the development of speech, the pronunciation of some sounds is impaired, vocabulary accumulates slowly, and phrasal speech is formed late.

Symptoms

In children stuttering begins around the age of 3-4 years for no apparent reason, growing gradually. The beginning, as a rule, coincides with the formation of phrasal speech.

In the first half of the year of the disease, periods of "stammering" gradually become longer and appear more often, and "light" intervals (when the child does not stutter) are not observed. That is, the disease proceeds on a "one note".

Next, the children begin to add extra phrases and words that do not carry a semantic load (embolophrasy): "a", "e", "well" and others. At the same time, the pace of speech itself is either accelerated or slowed down. As a rule, there is a sharp violation of breathing during speech: words are pronounced at the moment of inhalation or at the end of a full exhalation.

In addition, there is insufficient mobility, as well as coordination of the organs of articulation (tongue, palate and others), arms and legs. Also, convulsions can occur in the mimic muscles of the face or hands. As a rule, such children have a poor musical ear.

During the examination, it turns out that most of the children have an organic brain lesion of a residual (residual) nature. Therefore, children often have reduced memory and working capacity, they quickly get tired and suffer from headaches, they have attention deficit and hyperactivity.

In adults in the chronic course of this form of the disease, there are often severe convulsions in all parts of the speech apparatus. As a rule, their speech is accompanied by nodding movements of the head, monotonous movements of the fingers, swaying of the body, and others. That is, there is a violent contraction of other muscle groups that have nothing to do with the formation of speech.

In a severe form of the disease, adults are tired of communication, so soon after the start of the conversation they complain of fatigue and begin to answer in monosyllables.

In addition, adults find it difficult to adapt to new conditions, they have reduced memory and attention, increased fatigue and exhaustion.

Classes with a speech therapist bring relief to most patients, but only if the work is carried out regularly and for a long time.

Which doctor should I contact?

There are many reasons for the development of stuttering. Therefore, several specialists are involved in its treatment.

Neurologist and psychiatrist are engaged in the treatment of diseases of the nervous system with the help of medicines.

Psychotherapist applies different kinds psychotherapy: hypnosis, auto-training and others.

Psychologist examines the patient's personality weak sides character and helping to correct them. Teaches how to communicate with others in various life situations helps patients express themselves emotionally and creatively.

Speech therapist - speech correction specialist. His job is to teach proper breathing during speech, the use of voice, smooth and rhythmic conversation. The speech therapist does not correct the incorrect pronunciation of syllables or words, but informs the patient that they can be easily pronounced, like all other words. Then the patient's fear of stuttering gradually decreases.

Acupuncturist acting on special points with needles, relieves nervous tension and improves blood circulation in the brain.

Physiotherapy instructor with the help of special exercises helps patients develop the necessary coordination and the ability to move freely.

At what age is it better to start treatment in children?

As soon as it seemed to you that the child began to stutter, contact the specialists. The maximum and fastest effect of the treatment is available if the visit to the doctor was within 3-6 months from the onset of the disease.

A favorable outcome from treatment is achieved if it is started at the age of 2 to 4 years, less favorable - from 10 to 16 years. Since the slight vulnerability, the desire for freedom and intimacy, which occur in adolescence, adversely affect the results of treatment.

Treatment for stuttering

It is carried out both in the hospital and on an outpatient basis. Various types of psychotherapeutic effects are used in combination, physiotherapy, medications (eg, sedatives, antidepressants, vitamins) and so on.

Techniques for the treatment of stuttering

Exist in in large numbers, but everyone has the same task - to make the speech centers work synchronously at the same speed. It is based on the inhibition of Broca's speech center and the excitation of other motor centers.

The article presents only some of the techniques used to treat stuttering in children and adults.

Elimination of stuttering in preschoolers

"Elimination of stuttering in preschoolers in game situations" - the method of Vygodskaya I.G., Pellinger E.L. and Uspenskaya L.P.

The course is designed for 2-3 months (36 lessons).

The basis of the methodology is the phased creation of game situations that form skills in stuttering children independent speech. And then they help to move from communication in words to detailed phrases. In addition, the technique includes speech therapy classes at each stage: special exercises are performed to relax muscles and relieve emotional stress.

Methodology L.N. Smirnova "Speech therapy in stuttering"

A system of gaming exercises is used, designed for 30 weeks (one academic year). Classes are recommended to be carried out daily for 15-20 minutes in the morning.

Goals

• Ensuring speech and personality correction
• Developing a sense of rhythm and tempo of speech
• Improving attention and memory
• more developed fine motor skills hands and relaxation of muscle tone
• Development of speech and motor coordination

Silivestrov's technique

Duration - from 3 to 4 months. Course - 32-36 lessons.

The methodology includes three stages:

I. Preparatory. A calm environment is created and verbal communication is limited. Further, the active work of the child on his speech is stimulated.
II. Training. They move from quiet speech to loud, and from a calm type of activity to emotional. For this, active, creative games are used. Moreover, at this stage, parents also take part in the treatment.
III. Fixative. Smooth speech is fixed in more complex situations: conversation, story, and so on.

Elimination of stuttering in adolescents and adults

Methodology V.M. Shklovsky

It combines the work of a psychiatrist, a neuropathologist and a psychotherapist. The course of treatment is 2.5-3 months. During treatment, the patient stays in the hospital.

The technique includes four stages:

I. The patient is carefully examined and the cause of stuttering is identified.
II. The ingrained skills and disturbed attitudes of the personality are rebuilt.
III-IV. Speech training is carried out in a living environment in which a stutterer usually resides. Thanks to this, speech activity is brought up in the patient, and the confidence is strengthened in him that he will be able to cope with stuttering in any situation.

Method L.3. Harutyunyan

Initially, treatment is carried out for 24 days in a hospital, then five courses of five to seven days during the year.

The technique consists of several stages:

• Work is underway to eliminate speech spasms
• Reduced anxiety associated with the act of speaking
• Patient awareness of their condition and confidence in recovery

A feature of the technique is the synchronization of speech with the movements of the fingers of the leading hand. That is, a new psychological state is being formed in which the patient's speech is associated with calmness, correct intonation and facial expressions, confident posture and so on. Initially, such speech is slow, but it makes it possible from the first lessons to speak to the patient without convulsive hesitation.

New techniques for the treatment of stuttering

BreathMaker Complex

When using the technique, the speech circle is "prosthetized" between Broca's center (speech center) and Wernicke's center (speech recognition center).

The essence of the technique

The stutterer speaks into a microphone, his speech is recorded and then corrected by a computer program. Further, the corrected speech is fed into the headphones and analyzed by the Wernicke center correctly. As a result, the tone is removed from the center of Broca.

Such a mechanism is aimed at eliminating the psychological dependence and self-doubt of the patient. After all, with a slight hesitation, he thinks that others perceive him critically. Therefore, there is an even greater overexcitation of speech centers, which leads to aggravation of speech disorders.

Motivation is the basis of treatment

Patients with logoneurosis are talented, vulnerable and impressionable people. However, they are often inert or lazy. Over the long years of their illness, they adapt, deriving secondary benefits from their condition: they are less likely to be called to the board, not sent to reading competitions, exempted from oral examinations, and so on.

However, you can and should fight with your speech impairment. And most importantly, remember that the “magic” pill for stuttering has not yet been invented.

What should parents do?

Little fidgets are a special category of patients. After all, it is difficult to explain to a child that you need to be silent for only a few days, right now you can’t watch your favorite cartoon, and so on. Because, due to the immaturity of the brain structures, children do not know how to wait. Therefore, parents will have to be patient and learn how to use small tricks.

Organize your daily routine.
Organize a child’s sleep for at least 8 hours a day (if necessary, daytime sleep), exclude active and computer games in evening time. Limit the time you watch cartoons and try not to watch new episodes while the treatment lasts. Thus, the overstrain of the central departments of speech will decrease.

Organize the right communication.
Children don't stutter when they're alone, so try not to be the first to talk to your child. Talk to your baby calmly, slowly and smoothly, pronouncing all the words. When communicating with your child, try to use questions that have simple and one-syllable answers. If your child is having difficulty saying the phrase on their own, say it together.

Observe guard speech mode.
Read only well-known books, do not ask the child to retell a fairy tale, what he saw or learn a poem - the right time will come for this a little later. Choose quiet places for walking. It is better to play calm games (for example, assembling a constructor, modeling, drawing) so that the child comments on his actions, since he does not stutter alone with himself.

Watch your nutrition.
The diet should be dominated by vegetable and dairy foods. Limit chocolate, sweets, spicy, salty and fried foods.

What should adult patients do?

It should be noted that there is a long and painstaking work for both the doctor and the patient. Therefore, before the start of treatment, they conclude a contract between themselves. According to it, the doctor undertakes to treat, and the patient undertakes to follow all the doctor's recommendations: exercise regularly, if necessary, observe silence at the beginning of treatment, and so on.

Then, having conquered his fear, the patient must “enter” into stuttering. That is, keep a diary of speeches, take the initiative in communication (for example, tell jokes or stories), and so on. This tactic gives good results. A striking example is celebrities who have overcome their illness.

Stuttering is a violation of the communicative function of speech, accompanied by a violation of the tempo, rhythm and smoothness caused by convulsions of the articulatory apparatus. Stuttering is one of the most common childhood neuroses.

The delay in the pronunciation of sounds and syllables is associated with convulsions of the speech muscles: muscles of the tongue, lips, larynx. They are divided into tonic and clonic.

Tonic spasms are the difficulty in pronouncing consonants.

Clonic seizures are when a child repeats sounds or syllables at the beginning of a word, pronounces extra vowels (and, a) before a word or phrase. There is also tonic-clonic stuttering.

The first symptoms of stuttering are possible of a different nature - these can be repetitions of the first sounds, syllables and the impossibility of further pronunciation of words. The child, as it were, begins to sing the first syllable. For example - "Ta-ta-ta slippers." Or the impossibility of the beginning of the phrase - tonic convulsions.

Vocal convulsions appear - stretching out a vowel sound at the beginning or middle of a word. The first symptoms of stuttering occur during the development of phrasal speech. This age is from 2 to 5 years. If you notice that a child has a failure in breathing during speech, voice difficulties, he cannot start a phrase, if repetitions of the first syllables of words or vowel sounds begin, then these are alarming symptoms and you need to pay attention to them.

If you do not pay attention in time, then such speech behavior can be embodied in real stuttering, causing not only problems with speech, but also difficulties in the social sphere. In adults, the process is sharply disrupted and works large quantity mimic muscles, neck muscles, upper shoulder girdle. The social picture is ugly. But this speech defect is not an irreversible disorder and in most cases it can be cured. The efforts made in the fight against stuttering have made some people famous. These people: Demosthenes, Napoleon, Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe.

Stuttering begins, fortunately, in a small percentage of children. According to statistics, only 2.5% of children have this defect. City kids stutter more than kids in the countryside.

Among children who stutter, there are more boys than girls. This is associated with the structure of the hemispheres. The hemispheres in women are organized so that the left hemisphere works better than the right. Due to this, girls usually start talking earlier, they more easily overcome those speech difficulties that are usually expected at 2.5 - 4 years.

When a child begins to speak in phrases, he comprehends difficulties in choosing words, coordinating them in number, gender and case. Sometimes we see that in this phase the child talks excitedly, with carelessness, he has difficulty choosing words, he is in a hurry. And then we hear in the child such specific stutters that qualify as a tendency to stutter.

In a child of 2-3 years of age, it is worth distinguishing stuttering from non-convulsive stammering. With hesitation, there are no spasms of the articulatory apparatus - neither vocal nor respiratory. Stutters are always emotional in nature. They happen, because at the age of 2-5 years, the baby’s speech capabilities do not keep up with his thoughts, and the child seems to choke. This is called physiological iterations or stutters. A child with a stutter, when asked to speak better, will worsen his speech, and a child with stutters, on the contrary, will improve it.

Separate external and internal causes of stuttering.

Internal reasons:

1. Unfavorable heredity. If parents have a stutter or even a fast pace of speech, a mobile excitable psyche, then this type of nervous system of a weakened nature is transmitted, which then contributes to the occurrence of stuttering.
2. Pathology during pregnancy and childbirth. These are factors that can adversely affect the child's brain structures responsible for speech and motor functions. In particular, any chronic pathology in parents, mother's illness during pregnancy.
3. Organic lesions of the nervous system in traumatic brain injury, neuroinfection.
4. Diseases of the organs of speech (larynx, nose, pharynx).

External reasons:

1. Functional causes are much less common, and there must again be a predisposition of an organic nature, a certain type of nervous system that cannot withstand some loads, stresses. Fright, serious illnesses in the period from 2 to 5 years, which cause a weakening of the body and reduce the stability of the nervous system of the body. It is also an unfavorable situation in the family. Stuttering in children also appears as a result of overly strict upbringing, increased demands on the child. Sometimes parents want to make geniuses out of their children, forcing them to learn long poems, speak and memorize difficult words and syllables. All this can lead to a violation of the development of speech. Stuttering in children can get worse or worse. Stuttering becomes more severe if the child overworks, catches a cold, violates, he is often punished.
2. Dissonance between the hemispheres of the brain, for example, when a left-handed child is retrained to be right-handed. According to the organization world health about 60 - 70% of retrained left-handers stutter.
3. Mimicking a stuttering family member or another child.
4. Lack of parental attention in the formation of speech, and, as a result, rapid speech and omission of syllables.

1. The very first and most important thing parents should do is to turn to specialists who deal with stuttering problems. If you see the first signs of stuttering, then you need to contact speech therapists, psychiatrists, neurologists and psychologists in polyclinics. They will give the necessary recommendations, if necessary, they will appoint drug treatment and they will tell you what to do at first;

It is better to consult a neurologist first: receive treatment, take a course and then, on the basis of this, begin classes with a speech therapist. The task of a pediatrician is to cure comorbidities, strengthen the body, and prevent colds, in particular diseases of the ear and vocal cords. It is also important to cure chronic diseases, bring them to a stable, long-term remission. Physiotherapy procedures are also important in the treatment. These will be classes in the pool, massage, electrosleep.

The psychotherapist shows the child how to overcome his illness, helps him feel comfortable regardless of the situation, helps to overcome fear in communicating with people, makes it clear that he is complete and no different from other children. Classes are carried out together with parents helping the child to overcome the disease.

It is worth remembering that the sooner you take action, the better. The more experience of stuttering, the harder it is to get rid of it. You should try to overcome stuttering before enrolling the child in school, and for this you need to contact a speech therapist as soon as possible and follow all his instructions, since the training program includes speaking in public when answering questions from the teacher, which can be a big problem for your child.

The fight against stuttering will become more difficult with age due to the consolidation of skills not correct speech and related disorders.

2. Go to a slow pace of speech for the whole family. Usually the child easily picks up this pace and after 2-3 weeks begins to mirror it. It's good to play dumb. You need to come up with any fairy tale story, explaining to the child why this should be done. It is unacceptable to talk to the child in short phrases and sentences.

3. Restriction of communication. The child should not attend educational, preschool institutions, but stay at home for 2 months. You also need to stop all visits to guests.

4. Start drinking a sedative collection. For example, "Bye-bye."

5. Analyze the situation in the family. It is necessary to pay attention to when the child begins to stutter, at what time of the day, to note all provoking factors. This is necessary so that when you go to a specialist, you already have a diary of observations.

6. Calm the child: remove the TV, loud music, emotional stress, extra classes. It is useful for the child to include calm audio fairy tales. Quarreling in the family in front of the child is unacceptable. It is important to exclude overwork and overexcitation of the child. Do not force your child to say difficult words over and over again. Make comments less often and praise your child more often.

7. Games for the prevention of stuttering. They create proper breathing for a deep breath and a slow exhalation. First of all, engage in calm games with your child. For example, draw, sculpt, design together. It is very useful to captivate the child with unhurried reading aloud and measured declaration of verses. Such exercises will help him correct his speech. Learn verses with a short line and a clear rhythm. Marching, clapping to music, dancing, singing helps a lot. Singing difficult moments and whispering helps to get rid of convulsive moments.

Examples of exercises for the formation of proper breathing for a deep breath through the nose and a slow exhalation through the mouth:

• "Glassblowers". To do this, you will need ordinary soap bubbles. The task of the baby is to inflate them as much as possible;
• "Who is faster". For this you will need cotton balls. The task of the kid is to blow the ball off the table first;
• For children of school age, a game with inflating balloons is suitable. It is useful to teach a child to play simple wind instruments (whistles, pipes);
• while swimming, play Regatta. Move light toys by blowing;
• "Fountain". The game consists in the fact that the child takes a straw and blows through it into the water.

If the children are older, then you can use breathing exercises Strelnikova. It is based on a short breath through the nose;

• "Home sandbox". First you need to let the child play with the sand in silence. And on final stages ask to tell what the child has built.

8. It is very useful, when putting the child to sleep, to give him a relaxing massage. It is held by the mother, who sits at the head of the child's bed. Soft massaging movements are carried out, which relax the organs of articulation, the upper shoulder girdle.

9. Duplication of speech with the fingers of the dominant hand. The speech and centers responsible for the dominant hand have almost the same representation in the cerebral cortex. When the hand moves, the signal runs to the brain. That part of the cerebral cortex becomes excited and, since the speech centers are located here, the hand begins, as if in tow, to pull speech along with it. That is, we make a hand movement for each syllable. children younger age You can make movements with two fingers.

At speech therapy lessons, exercises are selected that remove tension and make speech smooth and rhythmic. The child should repeat the exercises at home, achieving clarity of speech.

Lessons have a certain system, stages, sequence. First, children learn the correct narrative presentation of the text. They read poetry, retell homework. The peculiarity of this story is that the child feels comfortable, he understands that he will not be graded and will not be mocked at him. The speech of children during such exercises becomes measured, calm, intonation does not change. Upon reaching the absence of stuttering in a narrative story, the child brings emotional coloring to speech: somewhere he will raise his voice, somewhere he will make an accent, and somewhere a theatrical pause.

In the classroom, various everyday situations are simulated in which the child finds himself. This teaches him to deal with stuttering outside the speech therapist's office.

Be sure to keep your child in a good emotional state. The child should be rewarded for his progress. Let it be just praise, but the child must feel the importance of his achievements. The presence of examples of correct speech is mandatory in the classroom. An example would be the speech of a speech therapist, other children who have already completed a course of treatment. Speech therapy rhythm is an important point in the treatment of stuttering. These are exercises for vocal, facial muscles, outdoor games, singing, round dances.

Be sure to ask your child homework so that treatment is not limited to the speech therapist's office.

Modern speech therapy methods help the child quickly overcome the disease and lead a full life.

is one of the commonly used treatments. They develop the muscles of the speech apparatus and vocal cords, teach deep, free and rhythmic breathing. It also has a beneficial effect on respiratory system in general, relax the child.

12. Computer programs is an effective treatment for stuttering. They synchronize the speech and auditory centers in the brain. The child is at home, sitting at the computer and speaking words into the microphone. There is a slight delay due to the program, allowing the child to hear his speech, and he adjusts to it. And, as a result, speech becomes smooth. The program allows the child to speak in circumstances with emotional coloring (joy, anger, etc.) and gives advice on how to overcome these factors and improve speech.

13. There is also a hypnosis method for children over 11 years old. This method allows you to get rid of spasm of speech muscles, fear of speaking in public. Speech after 3-4 procedures becomes smooth and confident.

14. Method acupressure refers to alternative medicine. The specialist affects the points on the face, back, legs, chest. Thanks to this method, there is an improvement in the regulation of speech from the nervous system. It is better to do massage all the time.

15. Treatment with medications is an auxiliary treatment for stuttering. This treatment is carried out by a neurologist. Anticonvulsant therapy, sedatives are used. Thanks to the treatment, the functions of the nerve centers are improved. Calming agents also help well in the treatment of stuttering: decoction and infusion of herbs (motherwort, valerian root, lemon balm). It is not possible to remove stuttering when using medications alone.

16. Restorative methods, such as daily routine, proper nutrition hardening procedures, elimination of stressful situations are also beneficial in the fight against stuttering. A long sleep (9 hours or more) is also important. For deep sleep, you can take a warm shower in the evening or take a bath with relaxing additives (for example, pine needles).

The child should eat fortified food, including more dairy and vegetable products. It is necessary to limit the child in meat, spicy dishes, remove strong tea, chocolate.

1. Follow the daily routine. A smooth, calm course of life helps to strengthen the nervous system.
2. Favorable atmosphere in the family. A friendly, calm atmosphere in which the child feels reliable. A trusting relationship so that when a child has fears or anxiety, he can always turn to his parents.
3. Cultivate emotional resilience. Stress and anxiety will always be in the life of a child. Parents should teach their children to get out of different stressful situations. Instill in your child the feeling that there is always a way out.

Conclusion

Fighting stuttering is tedious, hard, painstaking work. But there are historical examples that show the heroism of people when they defeated stuttering and formed a fighting character.

Stuttering is a disease that manifests itself in the form and has a psychoneurological origin. Most often, they suffer from stuttering; in adulthood, the disease manifests itself extremely rarely, but more painfully.

Stuttering in adulthood causes difficulties in speaking, patients suffer from a speech defect, cannot pronounce words correctly, stretch, or vice versa, involuntarily shorten syllables. The disease may be accompanied by muscle tics, twitching in the limbs, and breathing difficulties.

For a long time, stuttering did not respond to treatment. Modern medicine has made a huge leap forward, allowing not only to diagnose the disease, but also to treat it very successfully.

Through the joint efforts of speech therapists, neurologists, psychologists and psychotherapists, it is possible to achieve positive results even in the treatment of stuttering in elderly patients who have difficulty speaking since childhood.

Research recent years allow us to distinguish two natures of the development of stuttering:

• neurotic;
• neurosis-like.

Neurotic stuttering manifests itself as a violation of the normal rhythm of speech, the occurrence of stammering and repetition. This form violations are directly related to tonic and tonic-clonic in the field of respiratory-vocal and articular muscles.

The nature of the occurrence of the disease has a psychological background, which makes it possible to attribute it to the group of neurotic diseases. In medicine, the term logoneurosis is also found.

Neurotic stuttering is always associated with a stressful situation. Most often, stuttering affects men. The disease can manifest itself once, or become a permanent phenomenon.

In the first case, a person may begin to stutter after a strong fright, in a fit of panic, or anger. In the second case, a person experiences the same sensations, but they have acquired a permanent character.

Since neurotic stuttering is associated with psychology, its causes can be very different. Sometimes a person begins to stutter in childhood, imitating someone from his environment, gets used to such speech and does not notice its defect.

A huge role in determining the causes of stuttering is occupied by heredity associated with violations of the speech apparatus.

This type of disorder develops in childhood. Usually, this form of the disease affects children 3-4 years old who have suffered severe physical injuries, or who are born with a pathology of internal organs.

The cause of stuttering can be asphyxia and difficult childbirth. Children show developmental delays, they refuse to walk for a long time, get tired quickly, start talking at 2-3 years old, and cannot remember even the simplest words.

The neurotic form of stuttering disappears by itself after the removal of the external stimulus, while the neurosis-like disorder remains a problem for many years and already worries an adult.

Etiology and pathogenesis of the disorder

Stuttering affects at least 1% of adults on the planet. There is no consensus on the etiology of stuttering. Specialists stand out the following factors that have a direct or indirect effect on the appearance of the disease:

• age;
• gender;
• state of the central nervous system;
• individual features of speech development;
• functional asymmetry of the brain;
• mental trauma;
• genetics.

Stuttering is more characteristic of men than women, which is associated with their greater susceptibility to various kinds of stress.

When studying the pathogenesis of the disorder, the following approaches are used:

Provocateurs of deviation

Possible causes of stuttering in adults can be:

Stuttering can be a hereditary disease that does not manifest itself for a long time. In the presence of a stressful situation, deviation can manifest itself at the most inopportune moment and become a permanent phenomenon in a person’s life.

Development phases

Stuttering in adults is much more difficult to treat than in childhood, so parents raising children under the age of 12 are advised to carefully monitor whether they show signs of this disease.

Progressing, the disease can cause an acute speech defect. Experts distinguish 4 phases of stuttering development:

1. Deviation in speech in preschoolers. The manifestation of the disease can be observed with a strong emotional outburst. Usually, stuttering at this age does not lead to serious problems and disappears on its own.
2. Stuttering in children primary school age. A disease that manifests itself in junior schoolchildren, is considered a pathology requiring immediate treatment. Sometimes stuttering schoolchildren can speak quite coherently, but gradually, being ridiculed by other children, they stop trying to pronounce words correctly and the speech defect intensifies.
3. Violation teenagers. The disease manifests itself in an enhanced form when communicating with strangers, answering at the blackboard, talking on the phone.
4. Stuttering in adolescence and adulthood. In the event that the disease could not be overcome in childhood and adolescence, it becomes chronic and forces adults to look for a replacement for some words, the pronunciation of which causes difficulty.

Clinical picture

Stuttering is not a disease in the truest sense of the word, since it is usually classified as a manifestation of hidden pathologies of the human body. Violation may be associated with problems such as:

The development of stuttering is usually associated with damage to the organs of speech and muscle tissue larynx. Spasms and respiratory convulsions resulting from excessive excitement have a significant impact on the manifesting speech defect.

Establishing diagnosis

Diagnosing stuttering in adults is quite simple, since an adult is quite capable of explaining and demonstrating what exactly does not suit him in his own speech.

Diagnosis of the disease is carried out under the guidance of a speech therapist and a neurologist. In the future, the patient may be assigned a consultation with a psychologist and psychotherapist who can determine whether the cause of the disease lies in domestic problems and difficulties in relations with relatives.

At diagnosis, the patient may show secondary symptoms:

• logophobia;
• sweating of the hands;
• redness of the face;
• obsessive hand waving and movements of other parts of the body.

Correct diagnosis allows you to proceed with the immediate treatment of the disease.

Deviation correction

In the correction of stuttering, a special place is occupied by an individual approach and complex treatment. Depending on the causes of stuttering, the doctor may recommend massage courses, hypnosis, and medication. IN special occasions reflexology and consultation with a neurologist will be required.

If the violation was caused by an injury, the patient will need to consult a vibrotologist. You can get rid of difficult cases of stuttering by relieving tension in certain parts of the body; in this situation, myotherapy aimed at muscle therapy can be recommended.

A speech therapist can also correct the patient's condition, using methods such as speech therapy massage, articulatory gymnastics and various breathing exercises.

The main goal of correction is to improve speech as much as possible. The difficulties of corrective treatment are associated with the need to simultaneously use the means and methods of neurological, speech therapy, psychological and therapeutic areas.

When you are at home

It is impossible to cure stuttering on your own at home, but if you find yourself or others have signs of a violation, you should drink a sedative, brew and drink some herbal tea to relieve tension. If this does not help, you can take a bath with soothing salts.

Herbal decoctions and fees, which can be purchased at a pharmacy, have a relaxing effect on the body. The most beneficial effect is odorous rue.

One teaspoon of rue is poured into a glass of boiling water and allowed to infuse for 7-10 minutes. The finished drink is taken three times a day, 1 teaspoon.

Stuttering does not imply the development of complications. In general, the prognosis is very favorable. Intensive treatment, taking all the drugs prescribed by the doctor and observing a regimen that is gentle on voice and speech receptors can have a significant impact on speech alignment.

Many adults who consult a doctor in a timely manner quite successfully fight and defeat the disease.

Prevention of violation

Stuttering in adults is often associated with nervous overexcitation and mental disorder. The best preventive measure is the desire to avoid stressful situations, the ability to always and in everything find the good side.

By being in a good mood, not immersing yourself in pressing problems beyond the prescribed measure, and taking care of your own mental health, a person may never encounter such a problem.

It is extremely important to find the harmony of spirit and body, yoga classes, listening to quiet classical music and just relaxing on the couch with your favorite book in your hands can provide invaluable help in this. Not knowing how to relieve mental stress, it is best to consult a doctor and solve the problem under his guidance.

Stuttering in medicine is called a specific violation of speech functions, which is not characteristic of healthy person. There are several forms and types of disorders, the treatment of which largely depends on the discipline of a person, his willingness to undergo a long course of treatment and the ability to take care of himself and his health.