As you may already know from some of my previous articles, I'm a person who stutters and began to stutter at the age of 8. Stuttering is a neurological and genetic speech disorder that causes me to take a few extra seconds to speak. Since many people know very little or nothing about stuttering, I wanted to provide a few basic facts to help you learn more about it.

1. Over 3 million Americans stutter.

2. 1% of the population of the world stutters (about 68 million people).

3. The ratio of males to females who stutter is 4:1.

4. Since it is partly a genetic disorder, some people who stutter have multiple people who stutter in their families as well.

5. Stuttering has no effect on or relation to intelligence. People who stutter aren’t dumb and stuttering is not a sign of a lack of intelligence.

6. Although people can develop a stutter from accidents or injuries, people who stutter don’t stutter because they had awful childhoods or because they faced some severe trauma as children.

7. There is NO cure for stuttering. However, support groups and therapy sessions can make stuttering easier to manage and deal with. People who stutter can learn techniques and these techniques can sometimes make stuttering easier for some people, but they don’t cure them. In some of the most successful forms of therapy, people focus on becoming comfortable living with their stuttering and as person who stutters.

8. Anxiety DOES NOT cause stuttering. However, people may stutter more frequently in stressful situations.

9. 5% of all people have stuttered at some point in their lives. If someone is going to outgrow it, he or she usually does so around the age of 8. Having stuttered as a child is not necessarily the same thing as having the disorder known as stuttering.

10. NEVER finish the sentences of a person who stutters. People who stutter know what they want to say, but just need a few extra seconds to say it.

11. Stuttering is not funny and should never be laughed at, teased, or made the topic of a joke.

12. Comments like “did you forget your name?” or “did I just make you nervous” are not funny, accurate, or appropriate.

13. If you are talking to someone who stutters, keep eye contact just like you would when talking to anyone else.

14. Stuttering can come in many forms. Some people repeat sounds, some prolong them, and others block (no sound comes out). People who stutter can have secondary behaviors such as moving their faces or heads.

15. People who stutter may stutter frequently or rarely. They may stutter on every word, every sentence, every other sentence, etc

16. Just because someone might have stuttered more frequently during the beginning of a conversation and then less frequently towards the end of the conversation, does not mean that his or her stuttering just disappeared. Stuttering comes and goes throughout conversations.

17. No two people stutter exactly the same way.

18. People who stutter can talk for themselves, so don’t order or speak for someone who stutters, unless they have asked you to.

19. Telling someone to slow down or take a deep breath, does not help. Slowing down and taking a deep breath does not ease stuttering.

20. People who stutter are just like everyone else except they may need a few extra seconds to talk.

21. There is nothing wrong with the hearing of people who stutter. There is no need to speak slowly and loudly to someone who stutters.

22. The list of famous people who stutter includes people such as Joseph Biden, James Earl Jones, Matt Slauson, King George VI, John Stossel, and even Moses. For a more complete list check out: http://www.stutteringhelp.org/famous-people-who-stutter

23. FRIENDS: The National Association of Young People Who Stutter is an amazing organization for young people who stutter and their families. Check out the link! https://www.friendswhostutter.org

25. Katherine Preston wrote Out With It: How Stuttering Helped Me Find My Voice about her life as a person who stutters. It also includes the stories of many others who stutter. Definitely worth reading!

Now that you've learned a bit more about stuttering, share this with your friends and family members to help spread the word!