Characteristics of Typical Disfluency and Stuttering

Differentiating typical disfluencies and stuttering is a critical part of assessment, particularly for preschool children. Without intervention, children who exhibit signs of early stuttering are more likely to have continued stuttering (Coleman, 2013).

Please note that some people experience covert stuttering - avoidance behaviors result in little to no stuttering. This may mask the underlying stuttering condition (Murphy et al., 2007).

The chart below describes some characteristics of "typical disfluency" and "stuttering" (Adapted from Coleman, 2013). However, children who stutter also have typical disfluencies as well as stuttering-like disfluencies.

Typical Disfluency	Stuttering
Speech Characteristics Multisyllabic whole-word and phrase repetitions Interjections Revisions	Speech Characteristics Sound or syllable repetitions Prolongations Blocks
Other Behaviors No physical tension or struggle No secondary behaviors No negative reaction or frustration	Other Behaviors Associated physical tension or struggle Secondary behaviors (e.g., eye blinks, facial grimacing, changes in pitch or loudness) Negative reaction or frustration Avoidance behaviors (e.g., reduced verbal output or word/situational avoidances)

Typical Disfluency

Stuttering

Speech Characteristics

Multisyllabic whole-word and phrase repetitions
Interjections
Revisions

Speech Characteristics

Sound or syllable repetitions
Prolongations
Blocks

Other Behaviors

No physical tension or struggle
No secondary behaviors
No negative reaction or frustration

Other Behaviors

Associated physical tension or struggle
Secondary behaviors (e.g., eye blinks, facial grimacing, changes in pitch or loudness)
Negative reaction or frustration
Avoidance behaviors (e.g., reduced verbal output or word/situational avoidances)

References

Coleman, C. (2013). How can you tell if childhood stuttering is the real deal? Available from https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/how-can-you-tell-if-childhood-stuttering-is-the-real-deal/full/

Murphy, B., Quesal, R. W., & Gulker, H. (2007). Covert stuttering. Perspectives on Fluency and Fluency Disorders, 17(2), 4–9. https://doi.org/10.1044/ffd17.2.4