CAUSE OF STAMMERING

Hokitika Guardian, 19 July 1930, Page 3

CAUSE OF STAMMERING

. AND THE REMEDY.! . The. Tendency to-day, is .to account for the stammering, .habit by calling i‘ a purely nervous disorder, says Mr H. St. John Rumsey, instructor for speech defects at Guy’s Hospital, ill the London “Daily Telegraph.” Careful observation of children in general arid stammerers in particular reA r eal the fact 1 that nearly all small chifldren between the ages of four and seven “stumble” in. their speech. At this stage the “stumble” in speech amount' to no more than the “stumble” which is universal in the case of all children learning to Avalk. By the age of seven control of speecli is established by ninety-nine’children out; of every hundred. It is from this moments /that th,e child begins to he a “nervous stammerer,” and a. vicious oircle gradually establishes itselt- First the child is. nervous because of -the stammer; then, anticipating failure to speak fluently, he fails more frequently than ever. . Granted, . then, that.; the nervous stammerer, has established a vicious circle,' the problem; of a method of cure presents itself, Noav, it is an undeniable fact that'all gtammer'ers over-emphasis .their consonants, an<r consequently “clip” their voAvels. It is because Avhen singing the attention is concentrated on tlie vowels that-all- stammerers can ’siirg; fluently. • ' ' ; . .-.• .•

' If stammerers Avill stress their they'Avill find that their consonants cease to prefont any difficulty. It is no easy matter to break doAvii a habit of ten or' twenty years,' but if the attention is concentrated oh all the voivel:!sounds stammerers Avill find a steadily increasing- fluency. This will rfehef off tlieir “rieiwes,” and as the cause of their nervousness disappears their nervousness must decrease.* Niiietentbs of . the cure rests with the 'stammerer himself. ' ' ‘ ■ •