Looking at stuttering through the lens of complexity

Abstract

In this theoretical paper, the disorder of stuttering is viewed through the lens of complexity. The complexity perspective is a way of understanding complex systems and it has been applied for this purpose across a range of domains, including architecture, economics, sociology, psychology and, most importantly in the present context, health. In this paper we apply some principles and metaphors of complexity to explain the disorder of stuttering. Through the complexity lens, stuttering comprises a number of complex systems, within both the person and the environment, that self-organize in response to a disturbance in the neural processing that is thought to underpin stuttering. The complexity perspective allows us to see this complex disorder in its entirety and provides a framework for integrating research and theory. The complexity perspective also highlights the importance of early intervention.

Keywords:

• Stuttering
• complexity
• spoken language