THEorenzo Salvetti he was consecrated as one of the new faces of Italian music with the victory ad Friends. But behind the success there is a personal story that the singer chose to share a few days ago without filters: the living with stuttering. Lorenzo Salvetti talked about it during a daytime show Friendsexplaining that stuttering «it’s a serious problem» because «you have your speech in your head, but then it comes out of your mouth distorted or torn to pieces». And he, then, as a “defensive tactic, I stay silent”. The winner of Amici, however, clarified that he «was lucky enough to be managed to partially recover». But stuttering «it’s something that comes backwhen you are angry or agitated.” But, beyond the stereotypes, what is this disorder? How does it manifest itself? And how can we intervene?
What is stuttering
According to theHigher Institute of Health, stuttering And a disorder in the rhythm of speech characterized by involuntary interruptions of speech, such as involuntary repetitions of sounds or syllables, prolongations and blocks. It is therefore not a simple temporary difficulty in speaking, but of a complex disorder which involves the mechanisms of planning and production of language. The most obvious feature is precisely the alteration of the rhythm of speechwhich can vary significantly from person to person and from situation to situation.
How it manifests itself: a disorder that changes
Stuttering doesn’t always present itself the same way. As theIssthe most common manifestations include repetitions of sounds or words, involuntary prolongations and blocks during speech production. But the symptoms also include “use of start-up words or sounds (“therefore”, “then”, “er”…), abuse of intercalaries (“that is”, “let’s say”, “how can I say”…), use of small words completely unrelated to the context or, even, without meaning, long and useless turns of phrase to then arrive at suddenly pronouncing the desired word”. These episodes can be more or less frequentand can also vary throughout the day. eE tend to increase in conditions of stress, anxiety or communication pressure.
The causes: a complex origin
There is no single cause of stuttering. THE’Iss explains that on the one hand there can be a certain genetic predisposition of a hereditary nature, with a higher probability in males. But often, in children who stutter, the disorder does not appear in the family. And stuttering essentially depends on an imbalance between the ability to move muscles to articulate words and linguistic abilities. This means that it does not depend on a “psychological weakness” as was once believed, nor on a cognitive deficit. But come on a set of factors that influence the development and control of language. Also for this reason, stress is not considered a cause, but a possible element of amplification of symptoms. As far as diffusion is concerned, second the guidelines of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità for its treatment stuttering is widespread in 1% of the world populationwhich rises to 5% if we consider cases with early onset (in which, however, the disorder can disappear spontaneously or thanks to therapy).
When it appears: developmental age and course
The stutter emerges most frequently between 2 and 6 years, that is, in the phase in which language is structured in a more complex way. In many cases it can regress spontaneously, while in others it tends to persist over time. According to theHigher Institute of Health, early intervention it is a decisive factor in improving the evolution of the disorder and reducing the risk of it becoming stable in adulthood.
How to intervene: speech therapy and psychological support
The treatment of stuttering is not unique and standardized, but is based on personalized approaches. Second Humanitas, speech therapy represents the main therapeutic tool, with techniques aimed at improving the fluency of language and reducing tensions associated with communication. In many cases it can also be useful psychological supportnot to resolve the cause of the disorder (which, as mentioned, is not psychological), but because the emotional and social impact of stuttering can strongly influence the quality of life and communication safety. And often, as part of the therapy, one is advised (as Lorenzo Salvetti said it was also done with him) to sign up for theater and acting courseswhich can be of great help.
Stuttering and intelligence: a stereotype to overcome
One of the most widespread misconceptions concerns the link between stuttering and cognitive abilities, but there is no correlation in this sense. There Veronesi Foundation in fact, he underlines that stuttering it is in no way an indication of reduced intellectual abilitiesbut a language disorder independent of cognitive skills.
Can stuttering be cured like Lorenzo Salvetti did?
The evolution of the disorder is very variable. In some cases, especially if treated early, stuttering may regress significantly. In others, it tends to become a condition stable but manageable. Specialists agree that, even when it does not disappear completely, the disorder can be reduced and controlled through adequate therapeutic paths, with a positive impact on social and professional life. And the story of Lorenzo Salvetti it’s proof of that.
