CHAPTER II

THE CAUSES OF STUTTERING AND STAMMERING


One of the first questions asked by the stutterer or stammerer is,
"What is the cause of my trouble?" In asking this question, the
stammerer is getting at the very essence of the successful method
of treatment of his malady, for there is no method of curing
stuttering, stammering and kindred defects of speech that can
bring real and permanent relief from the affliction unless it
attacks the cause of the trouble and removes that cause.

Inasmuch as this book has to do almost entirely with the two
defective forms of utterance known as stuttering and stammering,
we will at this time drop all reference to the other forms of
speech impediments and from this time forth refer only to
stuttering and stammering.

These forms of defective speech are manifested by the inability to
express words in the normal, natural manner--freely and fluently.
In other words, there is a marked departure from the normal in the
methods used by the stammerer in the production of speech. It is
necessary, therefore, before taking up the discussion of the
causes of stuttering and stammering, to determine the method by
which voice is produced in the normal individual, so that we can
compare this normal production of speech with the faulty method