Understanding Stuttering

It has been estimated that about one percent of the adult population stutters. This would amount to almost three million adults in the United States alone. Stuttering is about three or four times more common in men than women.

The precise causes of stuttering are still unknown, but most researchers now consider stuttering to be neurologically and genetically based. Although the interference with speech is sometimes triggered by emotional or environmental factors, stuttering is basically neurological and physiological – not psychological – in nature. Intelligence and emotional stability are not affected.

Despite scientific research breakthroughs in the field of stuttering, there is still no reliable “cure” for stuttering. Many individuals benefit from various forms of speech therapy and from support groups offered by the National Stuttering Association.

Some of the benefits brought to the workplace by people who stutter may include:

• Patience and perseverance, gained from dealing with their stuttering.

• Greater sensitivity to the needs of other people.

• Good listening skills.

• Appreciation of the value of preparation.

• Better understanding of communication issues in the workplace.

• Enhancement of your organization’s image as one that promotes diversity and inclusion.

By refraining from making assumptions about an individual’s qualifications based on stuttering, both the employer and employee can achieve a productive and mutually beneficial relationship.

Yes. Many stutterers perform very effectively in jobs requiring them to interact with the public on a daily basis. Most persons who stutter are capable of adequate – and often excellent – oral communication, regardless of their disfluency.

Good communication involves more than just fluency. It includes good listening skills, the ability to empathize with people, being thoughtful and diplomatic, and having something valuable to say. A person who stutters may have these qualities, including valuable “people skills” gained through past work and life experiences.

A job interview may be the single most difficult speaking situation a stutterer will encounter. Stuttering could be at its worst. Therefore, the degree of stuttering at the interview should not be used to predict how the person will actually speak on the job.

Disqualifying potential employees because of their stutter will deprive employers of the valuable skills that these individuals can contribute to the workplace.