Rhythm-training game played to music on a cell phone shows promise for reducing stuttering in children

AI Summary

A rhythm-training mobile game played to music shows promise as a therapeutic intervention for children who stutter. The game targets speech motor control synchronization deficits that underlie stuttering, a developmental disorder affecting 5-8% of young children. While most children outgrow stuttering naturally, the app offers hope for those who do not.

Stuttering is more than just struggling to "get the words out." It's a developmental disorder affecting speech fluency caused by a deficit in speech motor control synchronization. The condition typically emerges between the ages of 2 and 5, and affects approximately 5% to 8% of young children. While 70% to 80% outgrow it naturally, stuttering may persist into adulthood for the others.