Covert Stuttering

Covert stuttering can be defined as a conditioneventually avoid speaking much.
where the person who stutters tries to hide hisThis denies the stutterers an opportunity to
stuttering problem by avoiding it or by masking aspeak themselves out; it is something which they
few words. This attempt to conceal their problemdo to themselves and due to this they suffer
by the stutterers is an effect of the treatmentemotionally. The fear of being exposed to the
meted out to them by the society. If a stuttererworld as a stutterer looms large and this causes a
had been subjected to mockery during hisgreat deal of emotional stress to the stutterers.
childhood, he would feel the pressure to hide hisIn the process of hiding their disability, they speak
stuttering from others so as to avoid being theless and sooner or later end up restraining
most ridiculed. Sometimes this type of covertthemselves from achieving better results.
nature is triggered in stuttering children becauseConstant fear coupled with the inability to accept
of the parents' refusal to accept the problem intheir problem forces them to withdraw from the
their children.social scene making them susceptible to loneliness.
Covert stuttering is more prominent and mostIn order to avoid stutterers from being covert
probable only among mild stutterers as it is notabout their problem, they must be treated rightly
possible to conceal a severe stutter. Mostin their surroundings. Parents must never
stutterers use filler words to do so; words likeencourage their children to practice covert
'ummm' or 'I think' precede their sentences tostuttering as it will not only affect them
give the listener the impression that they are justemotionally but will also serve as a deterrent to
thinking and taking their time to speak rather thanany chance of recovery that the child may have.
stuttering. Some others avoid from using certainInstead of practicing it as a way of life, stutterers
words and substitute them with their synonymsmust use it only under necessary circumstances
so that they do not have to stutter on theso that it boosts their confidence. But it must be
difficult word. Most of the times, the avoidanceremembered that it always better to accept
extends to their speech too. Stutterers tend toone's disability than having to run away from it.
speak less in a crowded environment and