postr/StutterFebruary 19, 2023

Some thoughts on what may have caused my stutter. Anyone else have a similar story?

5 points0 commentsView on Reddit →

Content

Some thoughts on what may have caused my stutter. Anyone else have a similar story? So, I've been reading aloud recently trying to work on my fluency. I was one of the best readers in my class from a very early age. In first grade, I was reading at a 12th grade level. My mind was able to quickly process letters into words seemingly instantly. However, when we had to read aloud in class, this was when l began to stutter. I didn't even realize it at first, and when my mom told me, I felt so ashamed and broken. Also, I had such a big ego as a kid being such a better reader than my classmates. So when I struggled with a word i didn't know, i felt like this shouldn't have happened to me. "i read at a 12th grade level!" And I would stutter all over it. (Now, as I'm reading aloud, I notice I stutter on any word that I have to stop and actually read as opposed to automatically knowing. (I'm reading Tolkien and omg these names) Also, if there are any grammatical mistakes in the book, I stutter all over. (Also, reading a book to help with stuttering and it has lots of typos) When I first started reading aloud, i noticed my mind was way ahead of my mouth like 4-6 words. These two tasks I was trying to do were way out of sync. I've since slowed my reading and lined up with my speech, greatly improving fluency. I've recorded each session, and the difference is dramatic. I don't believe the cause is super important, but this has been helpful for me as being fluent at home has increased my fluency in the outside world. I thought I would share. Sorry, this is so long.

Themes

Anticipation & AvoidanceCauses & VariabilityCoping & Advocacy

Subthemes

Avoidance & SubstitutionOverthinking & MonitoringSeverity & FluctuationFluency Techniques

Codes (1)

reading_aloud