Theories about stuttering

1
Theories about stuttering

• Constitutional-based theories
• Developmental-environmental-based theories
• Integrated theories

2
Constitutional-based

• Brain-organization
• Timing disorder
• Internal monitoring disorder
• Language production disorder
• Physiological tremor disorder

3
Brain organization

• Orton-Travis theory (1920)
• Lack of dominance tx focused on changing
  handedness back to left-side
• Geschwind-Galaburda theory (1985)
• Delayed LH growth in fetal development caused RH
  dominance for language in unsuited hemisphere
• Testosterone exposure during fetal development
  cause of delay
• Webster theory (1993)
• LH dominate for language but the supplementary
  motor area in this hemisphere is easily
  disrupted, and the RH overactivity is highly
  disruptive to SMA

4
Timing disorder

• Kent (1994)
• Adapted his theory from Van Ripers
• Deficit in temporal planning
• Blamed temporal planning deficit on language
  localizing in RH
• Thought regulation of emotions were partially
  responsible for deficits in timing

5
Internal modeling theories

• Neilson and Neilson (1987)
• Reduced Capacity for Internal Modeling
• Sensory motor feedback system malfunctions gives
  wrong information creating disfluencies
• Max, et al (2004)
• Based on insufficient internal models of speech
  production that result in repetitions as the
  child tries to reset to match the internal
  feedback received

6
Language deficit

• Kolk Postma (1997)
• Covert Repair theory
• Deficits in the planning and assembling of
  language units result in disfluencies
• Phonology plans are most commonly disrupted
  language unit
• Perkins, Kent and Curlee (1991)
• Dyssynchrony between paralinguistic components
  (RH) and linguistic components (LH)

7
Physiological tremor

• Unstable neuromuscular system
• Small tremors in speech muscles that rapid and
  rhythmic
• Not present in all stutterers
• Do not appear in young stutterers

8
Developmental/Environmental

• Diagnosogenic theory
• Anticipatory struggle theory
• Capacities and demands theory

9
Diagnosogenic

• Wendell Johnson (1930s)
• Stuttering is in the ear of the listener not in
  the mouth of the child.
• Stuttering begins when it is diagnosed as
  stuttering

10
Anticipatory Struggle

• Oliver Bloodstein (1987, 1997)
• Early communication failures create frustration
  and struggle, which result in disfluencies
• Acknowledged that other factors, such as living
  in a critical environment, perfectionistic
  parents, etc., combined with anticipatory
  struggle caused stuttering

11
Capacities and Demands

• Andrews et al (1983)
• Limited neurological capacity
• Demands of the act of speech compete with other
  demands
• Rapid language development
• Cognitive skills
• Fast talking parents, etc.

12
Integrated

• Two stage model of stuttering
• One model to explain the development of core
  behaviors (primary stuttering)
• One model to explain the development of secondary
  behaviors (secondary stuttering)

13
Primary Stuttering

• Caused by constitutional factors
• Brain differences creating dyssynchrony of speech

14
Secondary Stuttering

• Caused by constitutional factors
• Temperament differences
• Emotional effects on hemispheric activity

15
Study Questions

• 1, 4, 6, 9, 10 from chapter 4
• 4, 6, 7, 8, 12 from chapter 5