Experts point to four factors that contribute to stuttering:
- A family history of stuttering. There is disagreement as to whether stuttering is genetic, because specific genes have not been identified. But close to 60% of all stutterers have someone in the family who also stutters or stuttered.
- Child development. Children who have other language and speech problems are more likely to stutter than children who don't.
- Neurophysiology. In some children who stutter, language is processed in different parts of the brain than it is for children who don't stutter. This may also interfere with the interaction between the brain and the muscles that control speech.
- Family dynamics. Some children's stuttering has been attributed to high family expectations and a fast-paced lifestyle.