Fluency and Fluency Disorders

Stuttering is the most common of a group of speech and language disorders that fit into the category of fluency disorders. Stuttering has been noted in many historical documents going back as far as the biblical reference to Moses in the book of Exodus where Moses says, “I am slow of speech and tongue.” Many experts consider this to be the first reference to stuttering.

Fluency disorders have been classified with many terms. Stammering, dysfluency, and stuttering are synonymous terms that refer to what Marcel Wingate referred to as the involuntary, uncontrollable, or marked interruption of verbal speech. However, not all references to the breakdown in verbal speech are considered stuttering, and for that matter, not all breakdowns are considered abnormal. For example, the interjections, rephrasing, ...