20/20 co-anchor John Stossel joins the Stuttering Foundation to lead this year's awareness campaign. His new book, "Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity - Get Out the Shovel - Why Everything You Know is Wrong," is being released today.
Myth busters include:
Myth: People who stutter are stupid.
Reality: There is no link whatsoever between stuttering and
intelligence.
Myth: Nervousness causes stuttering.
Reality: Nervousness does not cause stuttering. Nor should we assume
that people who stutter are prone to be nervous, fearful,
anxious, or shy. They have the same full range of personality
trait as those who do not stutter.
Myth: Stuttering can be "caught" through imitation or by hearing
another person stutter.
Reality: You can't "catch" stuttering. No one knows the exact causes of
stuttering, but recent research indicates that family history
(genetics), neuromuscular development, and the child's
environment, including family dynamics, all play a role in
the onset of stuttering.
Myth: It helps to tell a person to "take a deep breath before
talking," or "think about what you want to say first."
Reality: This advice only makes a person more self-conscious, making
the stuttering worse. More helpful responses include listening
patiently and modeling slow and clear speech yourself.
Myth: Stress causes stuttering.
Reality: As mentioned above, many complex factors are involved in the
onset of stuttering. Stress is not the cause, but it can
certainly aggravate stuttering.
For answers about stuttering, visit www.stutteringhelp.org or call the Stuttering Foundation helpline at 800-992-9392.
