Information about stuttering

Stuttering or stammering as it is sometimes referred to, is known to affect around one percent of the British population.

Recent reports suggest that seven out of ten people who have a stutter are male.
 
I have often wondered why more men than women have this form of speech impediment.

I have been running speech courses for the last twelve years and have also noticed this trend. In fact I would have to say that only around ten percent of the people who contact me or attend a course, are female.

Some people have suggested that because girls are more open and willing to talk about their problems, that this might help them to eradicate the stutter when they are very young.
 
When I was a young boy, I hated talking to anyone about my own stutter and also found it frustrating to hear other people talking about the problem. My parents asked me various questions, such as:
 
Is the stutter affecting your school life?

Do you stutter more when you are at home or when you are at school?

Would you like to go back to see that nice speech therapist? Grrrrrrr
 
I just wanted to be left alone; I could talk fine when I was talking to myself. As a child I often wondered why this was. I was also able to sing and shout without the hint of a speech impediment.

This is weird; I used to think to myself. It did however give me the confidence to believe that one day I would be able to talk fluently in every situation.

If I can sing and shout fluently, then there is no reason why I should not be able to speak fluently.