A Study of Motor Learning in Children and Adults who Stutter

Stuttering is a speech disorder that not only affects a person’s ability to communicate fluently and confidently, but can also have a significant impact on their quality of life and mental health. Developmental stuttering typically emerges in early childhood; however, 20% of individuals will continue to be affected by this disorder into adulthood. After decades of research, the causes of this speech disorder and the reasons for its persistence are still not clear. We do know from the study of movement behaviour in this population that children who stutter are slower and more unstable in their speech movements. Adults who stutter have shown difficulties in planning and coordinating their movements, along with impairments in learning and combining multiple movements efficiently, in speech as well as in finger sequencing tasks.TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Luc De Nil

Student:

Partner:

University of Oxford

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

University of Toronto

Program: