The Daily Bulletin Archive

Over 3 million Americans stutter, approximately 1 percent of the U.S. population. Stuttering is a complex communication disorder. Individuals who stutter may display one or a combination of the following characteristics: blocks (stopping) of airflow or voicing; prolongations of sounds, resulting in sounds being said longer in duration (> one second); and repetitions of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases. The severity of the observed stuttering can be increased by additional physical behaviors including, but not limited to, eye blinks, head nods, facial grimaces, body movements, and physical tension. Currently, the cause of stuttering is unknown. Research suggests that stuttering tends to run in families and that males stutter more than females by a ratio of four to one.