Anatomy of a Stutter New findings from brain studies and genetics are illuminating the causes of this ancient affliction By Rachel K. Sobel Posted 3/25/01 Page 6 of 7 In the end, scientists hope their findings will help debunk stereotypes and stigmas, even among stutterers themselves. "People who stutter are relieved to find out that they are not crazy, that they don't have a defective personality," says Janis Ingham. "To know `my brain is different than yours but my soul isn't' is a tremendous thing." The stuttering brain Sluggishness in the brain's auditory cortex and hyperactivity in the speech center may both contribute to the disorder. Activity in the brain's visual area-not involved in speaking--is identical in stutterers and nonstutterers. [PET scan data are not available.] [Scan key] Highly active areas; Relatively inactive areas PET scans taken while reading aloud Speech-producing area Auditory area Visual area Nonstutterer Inactive Active Active Stutterer Hyperactive Less active Active Source: University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio An etiquette guide How to make conversation with a stutterer a less frustrating experience for everyone involved: Patience and pacing. The cardinal rule is never finish a stutterer's sentence. It's insulting--and even worse when the completed sentence is wrong. Also, use a relaxed pace in your own speech, but never so slow as to sound unnatural. Body language. Use natural eye contact and facial gestures to show you're listening. Also, be aware of the special difficulty of phone conversation, in which such cues are missing. No advice. Avoid remarks like "slow down," "take a deep breath," or "relax." Such simplistic, often demeaning advice doesn't help a stutterer. Famous stutterers 1. Jack Welch General Electric's CEO beat expectations. "Here was this short, stuttering guy who only knew the plastics business," says a former GE exec. 2. John Updike The author chose to express himself in writing because, when he stuttered, his upper lip hardened and his mouth distorted like "a leather purse being cinched." 3. Marilyn Monroe Her breathy voice may have been an attempt to be fluent rather than sexy. 4. James Earl Jones He discovered in high school that he could overcome stuttering by reciting Shakespeare or Edgar Allan Poe. 5. Moses His brother, Aaron, spoke for him because, as he told God in Exodus, "I am not eloquent. . . . I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue." 6. Carly Simon She felt so strangled when talking that she "did the natural thing, which is to write songs, because I could sing without stammering." 7. Winston Churchill His teacher warned: "Because of his stuttering he should be discouraged from trying to follow in his father's political footsteps." [Picture captions] Syllables first After years of speech therapy, 13-year-old Stephen Essman entered an intensive program at Hollins Communications Research Institute in Roanoke, Va. The goal, says his mother, Marti, was "to fix the problem and then see what happens to his anxiety." Mall challenges As part of a 19-day treatment for stutterers, Jack Braha, 21, tested his new speaking skills by asking for assistance at a local shopping mall. A budding investment banker, he wants to refine his speech for the high-stress, highflying atmosphere of Wall Street. |