Prompt Cast
Understanding Stuttering: Causes, Treatments, and Famous Stutterers
TLDR Stuttering is a common speech interruption that affects approximately 1% of adults worldwide, with most children outgrowing it. Research is ongoing to determine the genetic basis of stuttering, and modern treatments focus on accepting and embracing one's stutter while providing support and speech therapy. Famous stutterers include James Earl Jones, Emily Blunt, and Winston Churchill, among others, and new devices are being developed to help individuals manage their stuttering.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Stuttering, also known as stammering, is an interrupted flow of speech that can have an interrupting effect on communication, while disfluency is a normal part of speech that occurs less than 10% of the time.
05:12
Stuttering is an interruption in normal communication and is not a disorder or sign of unintelligence, and it can be made worse by drawing attention to it.
10:11
Accepting and embracing one's stutter is the first step towards either getting past it or getting over the fact that you have it, as people with stutters often engage in obfuscation and take measures to make it seem like they don't have a stutter.
15:06
Approximately 1% of adults in the world stutter, with about 75% of children who stutter eventually outgrowing it, leaving the number of adult stutterers at around 1%, and men are more likely to stutter than women.
20:30
Stuttering is common in childhood but usually resolves within 18 months, however, if the stutter persists into adulthood, it becomes more difficult to treat due to the plasticity of the brain.
25:43
Research is being done to determine the genetic basis of stuttering, as scientists have identified four genes linked to proteins responsible for cellular trafficking, although it will take more time to fully understand the connection.
30:54
In history, there have been various attempts to treat stuttering, including hiring an actor to help with speech exercises, slicing the phrenulum or cutting down the tongue, and theories that stuttering is caused by too many thoughts or emotions.
36:33
In modern times, it is understood that stuttering is not a physical issue but likely originates in the brain, and recommendations for parents include giving their child plenty of time and space to express themselves, maintaining eye contact, and speaking slowly to set an example.
41:51
Stuttering can vary in severity throughout the day and is often more pronounced in higher anxiety situations, such as job interviews, but can be less pronounced in casual conversations, and a new device that creates an echo of the person's voice in their ear, based on the concept of talking in unison, has shown promise in helping with stuttering.
46:49
Famous stutterers include Mel Tillis, Porky Pig, James Earl Jones, Emily Blunt, Samuel L. Jackson, Harvey Keitel, Nicole Kidman, Albert Einstein, Carly Simon, Winston Churchill, Bruce Willis, Shaq, Bill Walton, Tiger Woods, Charles Darwin, Jane Seymour, Dr. Quinn, Joe Biden, Kendrick Lamar, and Mel Tillis.
51:46
The hosts read a listener mail thanking them for their informative and family-friendly podcast, and mentioning that they listened to episodes about spiders, ice cream, and water slides on a road trip to Wisconsin Dells.
Categories:
Society & Culture
