The Benefits Of Stuttering

As a child I have often wondered why it is that my peers stutter, knowing that stuttering makes speech very difficult and was often associated with stigmatization. Stuttering is a complex topic and my understanding of it is still unknown. It appears as though it is not only me, but many scientists and researchers are finding the neurological basis very difficult to explain and are giving various reasons as to why they believe people stutter. Stutter, “Also called stammering or childhood-onset fluency disorder is a speech disorder that involves frequent and significant problems with the normal fluency and flow of speech” (Mayo Clinic.org, 2016, p.1). It could be a difficult thing for stutterers not being able to say what you want to say properly, and at the speed you would want to say it. Stuttering to me is debilitating and a …show more content…
According to Vild ( 2013), “Positron emission tomography studies of people who stutter show decreased activity in cortical areas associated with language processing, such as Broca’s area, which control motor functions linked with speech production” (p.1) Since, our Broca’s area plays an integral part in our speech production there is a possibility that people who stutter have some sort of damage in their Broca’s area which can hinder them in the formulation of words and phrases. In addition, our motor cortex plays an important part in our speech production it, “Is active when we listen to speech, as well as when we produce it” (Cheung et al. 2016, p.2). Due to the location of our motor cortex if there is a problem with our left hemisphere there can also be a hindrance to our speech production. Since, it “Coordinates the muscles responsible for speech production. The brain now has to make up by shifting speech-related tasks to the right hemisphere. Thus, even though stutterers know what words to say, those words are produced with a struggle” (Vild, 2013,