6 “What is Stuttering?” continued from page 1


It is possible that failures to activate required speech muscles is another fundamental aspect of stuttering, which is easily overlooked because of the subtle symptoms. Brain research data from many labs seem to indicate that the core of stuttering is related to the speech motor system, or more specifically to the premotor system, which is crucial for the preparation of speech movements. Without proper preparation, the speech movements may become unstable, and the intended smooth movements may either fail to start or become exaggerated and out of control.


For a long time it has been assumed that excessive tension in stuttering is related to exaggerated emotions of anxiety or fear in social settings. However, there is now strong evidence that speech-related anxiety in persons who stutter is typically a result of the basic speech problem and not a primary cause of stuttering. For example, children who begin to stutter do not show higher levels of anxiety or shyness than other children, and emotionally reactive children do not appear to have higher risk for development of persistent stuttering.


In fact, contrary to what might be expected, some data suggests that emotionally reactive preschool children may have somewhat better odds for recovery from stuttering than other children. It is possible that these indications are just random effects in the data, but it does highlight the importance of investigating stuttering without preconceptions about the causal relations.


(These issues, and others, are discussed in a review article in Journal of Fluency Disorders, 2014, vol. 40 p. 5-21. The data on the speech motor analysis is under preparation for publication.)


Per Alm is a Senior Lecturer at Uppsala University, Department of Neuroscience, in Sweden.


Annie and John Glenn Dear Friends,


On December 8th, 2016, we mourned the loss of an American hero and space pioneer, John Glenn.


John helped us to launch the first National Stuttering Awareness Week in 1988; his wife Annie was our gracious spokesperson.


Stuttering Foundation Vice President Joe Fulcher was fortunate to know John quite well. He was at Lovelace Medical Center in Albuquerque when the Mercury astronauts were there; he had the great privilege to be the first to meet John when he arrived.


We are all saddened by the loss of John Glenn, a national treasure and a true friend to our Foundation. We send our deepest condolences to Annie and the entire Glenn family.


Sincerely, Jane Fraser, President The Stuttering Foundation


Jane Fraser with Annie Glenn and John Glenn


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