The speech production mechanisms are connected to one's attitude and emotions. However, this does not mean that stuttering is caused by wrong emotions or attitude, but in order to alter this speaking behavior (to overcome stuttering) then attitudes and emotions should also change.

 

Statistically, according to the National Stuttering Foundation, about one out of five children suffers from stuttering as part of their speech language development, and five percent of those children will continue stuttering for up to six months or more. Around 75 percent of them will recover by late childhood, leaving only approximately one percent of the population with stuttering problem. 

 

Social Anxiety Disorder and Stuttering Behavior

In order to decrease the stuttering behavior, it is imperative to re-evaluate attitudes and emotions. The main point here is that the social anxiety disorder factor of the Stuttered Speech Syndrome can be treated successfully with a cognitive behavioral therapy. When this happens, a substantial difficult concern will be removed from the person who suffers from stuttering. Moreover, the removal of this burden and extensive irrational fear would help the person focus on developing new speaking manners and habits. In a nutshell, for those people who already have or are still developing a stuttering behavior, reducing anxiety in social situations is definitely the most important first step.

 

Reducing Anxiety in Different Social Situations

In general, when a person sees him/herself as the speaker, the initial step is to change his self-image. They can deal with social anxiety disorder through the following:

 

- Practicing meditation or self-hypnosis in free time

- Developing their strengths in communication areas

- Keeping eye on their resting anxiety level

- Keeping a journal where to record speaking progress and successes

- Practicing first within a "winning environment"

- Practicing to deliver humorous statements without stuttering

- If they encountered any negative experience with regards to stuttering, try to replay in a positive manner

- It is also advisable to become more self-asserting

- Face the fear. Do not be afraid to voluntarily stutter.

 

Improving Speech Fluency

In addition, it is also better to practice improving speech fluency while doing the abovementioned steps. Refining their fluency will also add more confidence to the speaker and would greatly help in battling social anxiety.

 

The first step to improving speech fluency is to slow down the rate of speaking words. Be more articulate instead of trying to finish a sentence in a fast manner. The next step is to learn how to link words. This is to ensure that the sentence to be delivered is more coherent and substantial. After this, make certain that there is sufficient breath support in every phrase that is spoken. This can be practiced by speaking a sentence or a cluster of five to six word phrases. The last step is to practice having a rhythm to speech by increasing pitch contour. Adding music to voice can be a good head start for this.