I am wondering if a correlation exists...

[studentdoc]

Are you the youngest child? oldest? middle? or only child?

Thanks!

[Vermillion]

I am the youngest.

[daneo]

im the middle

my dad stutters

[studentdoc]

im the middle

my dad stutters
Is your dad the youngest/middle/oldest?

[Standingtall]

I am the oldest and only that still stutters.

[happy7117]

I am the oldest child of the 2 kids my parents had, and am the only who stutters in my family..

[mo885]

I guess you would say I'm the youngest. I have an older brother and a twin sister both who don't stutter.

[studentdoc]

I'm the youngest, my neice is the youngest and my friend who stutters is the youngest... I think a gene exists but also - certain environments may or may not "activate" that gene. I thought attention of being the youngest and being the last child just gets a certain environmental factor that others don't (usually) Hmmm I think there will be so much more info on this in the future. I hope pagaclone gets released for now!!!

[dave]

Only child and I stutter.

Also I started speech therapy at age 2 if that means anything.

Plus where I live theres just a bunch of scab therapists. You know, the ones that tell you "If you know what you want to say theres no way you can stutter. You just need to learn how to think before you jump right into it." My stutter worsened the more therapy I got from those type of people. When I was 12 I had a great therapist who was educated on stuttering. I quit after about a month of her therapy for 4-5 months untill I relapsed.

That is exactly why I want to be a speech therapist because we need competant professional help. Now, it seems like its just a bunch of people who just want into these fields for the money. Rather than helping people.

[dave]

Student Doc, I believe it is the same gene that causes ocd, tourettes, and adhd.

Another thing people with ocd, tourettes, and stutters are generally more intelligent. (ADHD people probably do have a high IQ but may have difficulty learning do to the nature or their dissorder).

And you said a certain environmental factor could trigger the gene. Could it be the oldest having more expected from them as well as the youngest receiving more attention.

[studentdoc]

That's very interesting Dave... for as long as I can remember I have a "silent" Tourettes. I remember being very young and when alone, I'd curse loud and still do but silently; In addition, I am 100% positive that I have ADHD. I am not being treated for anything because I can do without. I sometimes wonder if stuttering is a side effect of this stuff and maybe should get treated but I doubt it.

[dave]

It must not be very bad because I know someone who has ADHD and they definitely can't form complete sentences using proper grammar like you can. They can't even concentrate on a simple task like controlling their speed while driving. And I'm not talking about 10-15 miles an hour over the speed limit. I'm talking about them unconsciously going 120mph on a highway because they get distracted by the endless road. It is a serious problem.

Being in med school, If that stuff doesn't have an adverse effect on your interaction with other people and coursework, you may not want to do anything about it because when you get a real job they could ask if you had psycological counseling, or whatever disorders you have and that could backfire on you.

Tourettes isn't just screaming words its involunary muscle movements. Here is an analogy: a person with tourettes trying to controll these movements is to a person who stutters trying to not stutter.

[Grambo]

I am fourth born out of five -I'm the only stutterer