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Module Content

The King's Speech raised public awareness of stuttering. Stuttering is a disorder that usually starts in childhood and most cases recover by teenage. One in twenty children start to stutter, but this drops by teenage to one in 100. Few teenagers who stutter recover in later life (it appears that George VI was the one in 100). Considerable effort has been directed at identifying which children who stutter will recover and which will not, a matter of importance for the individual and society alike. Comparison of groups of people who persist or recover suggests several factors may be significant. Biological (genetics and brain differences), linguistic and motor factors, and type of stuttering symptom are reliably reported to differ between such groups. This module gives the student the skills to evaluate the evidence, theories and practical issues associated with stuttering in early childhood (close to onset) and into teenage and beyond. Factors that affect the onset and course of stuttering are examined from various perspectives. As well as giving a comprehensive coverage about stuttering, this module also has relevance to other speech-language disorders. The module has been developed so that no background in related disciplines is assumed.

Teaching Delivery

Teaching is via a weekly two-hour lecture. In addition, 2-3 tutorials will be arranged in consultation with students. One is scheduled after reading week where therapists and people who stutter join in discussions about module materials and their limitations. Another tutorial is arranged toward the end of the module with advice on writing conventions appropriate for this module.

Indicative Topics

Indicative lecture topics are based on module content in 2023/24, subject to possible changes.

After preliminary description of the patterns of stuttering, how it is measured, who it affects and what its symptoms are, lectures examine evidence that stuttering is associated with a range of biological and psychological factors. Particular emphasis is given to how language and motor demands affect stuttering. Theoretical accounts that attempt to integrate these findings are critically assessed. The final part of the module applies the knowledge to practical issues (treatment, diagnosis and prognosis).

Module Aims and/or Objectives

This module aims to give a comprehensive overview of the evidence, theories, and practical issues associated with recovery from stuttering in early childhood and into adolescence. It examines evidence that stuttering is associated with a range of biological factors such as genetics and psychological factors such as anxiety, and it critically assesses theoretical accounts that attempt to integrate these findings. The module is intended to familiarize students with the main concepts in stuttering research and to introduce them to specific topics in current research in the area. The topics will be discussed with respect to current research, including differences in research methodologies and their relationship to models about speech and language processing by people who stutter. The module is all taught by Peter Howell.