Temperament, Anxiety, and Stuttering

Temperament refers to individuals’ way of behaving and responding to the world around them. Temperament is genetically determined and is typically seen soon after birth. Although temperament is influenced by environmental factors such as peer experiences and parenting, it is considered to remain relatively stable over time. Stuttering is a speech disorder characterized by involuntary disruptions to speech. Stuttering typically starts in the preschool years when children are developing [Page 1938]speech and language skills. A large proportion of children who start to stutter will recover naturally. However, for those children who do not recover from stuttering, the disorder is likely to become a lifelong problem. Over the last decade, several studies have investigated whether children who stutter show temperamental traits that may predispose them to ...