Genetics of Stuttering

Stuttering is a speech disorder. People who stutter know what they want to say. They may get stuck on a word. They may repeat a word or sound. Being tired or excited can make you stutter. It can get worse when you are nervous. Stuttering is common as children learn to speak. About 1 in 20 children stutter. Most children outgrow this type of stuttering on their own. Speech therapy can help too. About 1 in 5 children who stutter will not outgrow it. They still stutter as adults. Adults that stutter tend to be men. We do not know what causes stuttering. Stuttering often runs in families. Scientists think gene changes may play a role. Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Wayne State University want to study stuttering. The will look for people who do and do not stutter. Then they will compare their genes. They will look for a link between gene changes and stuttering. First, they will reach out to people who stutter. They will ask for some medical history. They will collect saliva for DNA testing. They will also use BioVU to find people who do and do not stutter. The goal is to find gene changes that may lead to stuttering. Their results may help us learn more about stuttering. The goal is to help those who stutter.