Linguistic aspects of stuttering: research updates on the language-fluency interface

Although commonly defined as a speech disorder, stuttering interacts with the language production system in important ways. Our purpose is to summarize research findings on linguistic variables that influence stuttering assessment and treatment.

Numerous topics are summarized. First, we review research that has examined linguistic features that increase stuttering frequency and influence where it occurs. Second, we tackle the question of whether or not persons who stutter exhibit subtle language differences or deficits. Next, we explore language factors that appear to influence recovery from early stuttering in children. The final topic discusses the unique challenges inherent in differentially diagnosing stuttering in bilingual children. Clinical implications for each topic are discussed.

The article concludes with a discussion of the unique differences in the integration of language and speech demands by people who stutter, when compared to people who are typically fluent, and their clinical ramifications.