Question of the Day
Two school-aged children are referred for speech-language evaluations due to concerns about their fluency. One child is reported by teachers and caregivers to speak very quickly, often omitting syllables or entire words. The other child frequently repeats the first sounds of words, occasionally prolongs sounds, and shows signs of physical effort while speaking. During clinical observation, one child speaks in a manner that is hard to follow due to a disorganized and irregular rhythm, while the other displays tension during speech and exhibits awareness of communication difficulty. Considering the characteristics and assessment methods of stuttering and cluttering, how would you differentiate between a child who stutters and a child who clutters?
A child who stutters has a rapid and irregular speech rate, while a child who clutters has associated motor behaviors.
A child who stutters shows a higher frequency of sound prolongations and part-word repetitions, whereas a child who clutters has a rapid and irregular speech rate with reduced intelligibility.
A child who stutters exhibits excessive speech rate variations, while a child who clutters has a higher frequency of stuttering-like dysfluencies.
A child who stutters demonstrates more pauses and revisions, while a child who clutters has severe anxiety about speaking situations.