It is estimated that about 1% of the population is affected by stuttering, which amounts to more than 600,000 people in France. October 22 is World Stuttering Awareness Day. Contributors from the reConnect Institute will soon be focusing on this topic. This will include a workshop on November 4 and 5 organized by the Neural Coding and Neuroengineering of Speech Functions team at theHearing Institute in collaboration with the Association Parole Bégaiement.
How has stuttering been named, described, and understood over the centuries? And what do research and clinical practice tell us today about this speech and communication disorder?
The history of stuttering reflects the gradual evolution of our understanding of speech. The word “bègue” first appeared in the 13th century, derived from the Old French “béguer,” which was itself borrowed from the Dutch “beggen,” meaning “to chatter.” The verb “bégayer” appeared in the 14th century with a meaning close to “stammering,” followed by the term “bégaiement” in the 16th century, initially in the form “béguayement.”
Over time, scientific descriptions became more precise. In the 19th century, a term with Greek roots—"dysphemia"—was also added to the lexicon to describe this speech disorder. It wasn’t until 1829 that a facility dedicated to the treatment of stuttering was established, with the opening of the Paris Institute of Speech Therapy.
Today, stuttering is no longer recognized as a disorder limited to repetitions or speech blocks, but rather as one that involves the functions of breathing, phonation, and articulation.
Stuttering is classified into different types based on its manifestation: clonic stuttering involves the repetition of syllables, while tonic stuttering involves a block on a word. The terms “inhibitory stuttering” and “substitutive stuttering” are also used to describe fluency disorders that occur during conversation.
Still too often misunderstood, it can leave those affected socially isolated.
Changing Practices
With this in mind, experts from the reConnect Institute are organizing an international workshop on stuttering on November 4 and 5 in Paris, in collaboration with the Association Parole Bégaiement and with support from the Okola Endowment Fund.
This event will bring together clinicians, researchers, students, and organizations to discuss scientific advances and clinical challenges related to stuttering, with a shared goal: to envision and develop the solutions of tomorrow.
For more information:
Program: https://lnkd.in/e-UmZb7X
Registration (limited spaces): https://lnkd.in/egYM-Jfw
