What is Fluency? Fluency relates to the "flow" of speech.  When a person has difficulty with the fluency of their speech, it is most commonly referred to as "stuttering".  ASHA defines stuttering as "the condition in which the flow of speech is broken by abnormal stoppages (no sound), repetitions (st-st-stuttering), or prolongations (ssssstuttering) of sounds and syllables. There may also be unusual facial and body movements associated with the effort to speak".

 What causes a Fluency disorder? There are four factors most likely to contribute to the development of stuttering: genetics ( approximately 60% of those who stutter have a family member who does also); child development (children with other speech and language problems or developmental delays are more likely to stutter); neurophysiology ( recent research has shown that people who stutter process speech and language in different areas of the brain than those who do not stutter); and family dynamics ( high expectations and fast-paced lifestyles can contribute to stuttering).

For more information on Fluency, check out these websites:

Stuttering

Stuttering Foundation of America

National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders