And it is familiar to every person who stutters. As small disfluencies such as bouncing repetitions, prolongations and small blocks begin to be amplified by the increased tension, the child perceives a greater need to control the articulators using extreme measures. T here is a wonderfully sophisticated sensori-motor feedback system that works on the unconscious level to control these muscles. But the child's attempts to control this system subvert normal speech, which is a fluid activity that requires smooth transitions between articulatory positions that are continually changing to accommodate a corresponding flow of language, breath, and sound. Soon, the child is not just reacting to the core disfluencies, but also to more extreme ballistic movements caused by the abnormal control and tension.
Children also obtain a significant amount of positive feedback from their early speech.
If the smiles of adults turn to quizzical, bemused, or even angry expressions, this discrepancy will alert sensitive children that something is wrong and they may try to compensate. Depending upon the child's environment, traumatic events may begin to happen, during which the child stutters, is ridiculed by listeners, and feels helpless to control his speech. Only one or two such events are needed for the child to begin to react with shame and fear to his loss of control and the increasing feeling of helplessness. Even the most severe and unpleasant speech tensions and blocks are rewarded when they intermittently result in escaping the moment of stuttering. In the context of the survival situation the brain perceives, these maladaptive behaviors become deeply learned unconscious strategies to preserve the person from danger.