Review
Subtyping stuttering I: A review

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Abstract

A reliable and practical subtype system of stuttering should enhance all related scientific work concerned with this disorder. Although a fair number of classification systems have been offered, to date, none has received wide recognition or has been routinely applied in research or clinical spheres. Whereas progress has been made in understanding and treating the disorder, for the most part stuttering continues to be viewed and addressed as a unitary problem. The objectives of the current article are to (a) highlight the motivation for identifying sub-types of stuttering, (b) outline the issues involved in researching subtypes, and (c) address the question of whether or not subtyping is plausible for this disorder. Toward these ends, a broad-based review of past concepts regarding subtypes of stuttering and stutterers is presented according to seven categories that reflect the various authors’ conceptual or experimental approaches. Selected studies for each category are also presented to illustrate the research problems and challenges. It is concluded that islands of progress can be identified in subtype research, particularly in studies of children. It is recommended that future studies include multiple factors or domains in the data collection process, especially with young children during the formative years of the disorder, when substantial overlap in the development of several speech/language domains occurs.

Educational objectives: (a) Readers will be able to describe the theory and research concerning the numerous attempts to subtype stuttering, particularly during the past 50 years; (b) Readers will be able to explain the general issues that need to be resolved in order to identify subtypes as well as current and future research strategies aimed at achieving these goals.

Section snippets

Motivation and general concepts

The multifaceted nature of stuttering is apparent from the initial clinical contact that a speech-language pathologist has with a child or – more certainly – an adult who stutters. The complexity of the disorder becomes even more apparent as scholars attempt to investigate it. They quickly realize that although speech disfluency is the essential feature of the disorder, stuttering is not only a speech disorder. Rather, stuttering is, in many ways, interwoven with the language, phonetics,

The potential value of stuttering subtypes

The many, as well as large, differences among individuals who stutter have invited a good number of proposed classification systems. Their underlying principles represent a very wide range—from different general etiologies to overt features of stuttering, biological characteristics, developmental courses, and others. Of course, the search for differences among people who stutter should be a search for differences that make a difference. Obviously, discovering meaningful stuttering subtypes,

Acknowledgements

Preparation of this manuscript was supported by grant #R01DC05210 from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders. Principal Investigator: Ehud Yairi.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Subtyping stuttering I: A review
QUESTIONS

  • 1.

    A widely accepted means of stuttering classification that is useful for clinical purposes is based on:

    • a.

      age

    • b.

      gender

    • c.

      ear preference

    • d.

      type of onset

    • e.

      none of the above

  • 2.

    The tonus versus clonus stuttering classification pertains to:

    • a.

      brain damage

    • b.

Ehud Yairi (B.A., Tel Aviv University; M.A., Ph.D., University of Iowa) has contributed extensively to the research literature on stuttering for 36 years with a special focus on the various aspects of the onset, development, and genetics of stuttering. He was the Principal Investigator of several large NIH/NIDCD grants and directed a multi-center grant for studying subtypes of stuttering.

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    Ehud Yairi (B.A., Tel Aviv University; M.A., Ph.D., University of Iowa) has contributed extensively to the research literature on stuttering for 36 years with a special focus on the various aspects of the onset, development, and genetics of stuttering. He was the Principal Investigator of several large NIH/NIDCD grants and directed a multi-center grant for studying subtypes of stuttering.

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