This is a book for parents who are worried about their children’s stuttering, for teachers, doctors, friends, and relatives of those who stutter, and for stutterers themselves. It offers help, encouragement, and guidance in dealing with the problem of stuttering, which troubles more than a million persons in the United States alone.Dr. Johnson, an outstanding authority on the subject, writes in simple language so that anyone can readily understand and follow his suggestions. What he says in this book is based on many years of laboratory research and clinical observation, and his own experience as a stutterer. He tells of his early years of struggle with the handicap and his decision to devote his life to getting at the basic causes of stuttering and finding ways to prevent or alleviate it. He describes his research experiences, likening them to a detective story centered on a search for the causes of stuttering as the culprit in the case. In this account he quotes from interviews which he conducted with parents in an effort to pinpoint the exact conditions or situations in which stuttering was believed to have started. He explains how the problem develops and how it becomes a frustrating “sad-go-round.” Finally, he tells what parents and others can do for children who are threatened with the handicap of stuttering and what adult stutterers can do to help themselves.
