Hey, I’m a speech pathology student. My first advice is to stop avoiding the vowel sounds you’re finding yourself to stutter on. My second advice is more… out of curiosity. As in, I don’t know if this would work, but I’m curious if it would. Have you tried saying those vowel sounds with a slight “singing” effect? Or have you tried to slow your speech down? In answering some of your questions, it’s normal for stuttering to change over time from repetitions to blocks. Blocks can sometimes occur due to the avoidance of producing certain sounds. Blocks aren’t a different disorder, they’re just a different form of stuttering although they may feel this way because they often occur with tension. Sometimes stuttering can reduce and cone back again when language demands increase, or lifestyle demands increase. But specifically with increased language demands, consider whether your current education demands are higher and more complex. Developmental stuttering is neuro developmental. Okay I know every person hates chatGPT but whatever, I’m giving this to you because I thought it was a pretty epic summary. I asked chat GPT about this and this was the response: —— What you’re describing actually makes a lot of sense from a speech perspective — and you’re definitely not alone in this. First, yes — it’s very common for stuttering to change over time, especially during adolescence. A few things to unpack here: **1. Shift from repetitions to blocks in the teen years** Yes, this absolutely happens. Many children who stutter start with: - Repetitions (b-b-b-ball) - Sometimes prolongations (ssssun) As they get older, especially around puberty, stuttering can shift toward: - Blocks (silent “stuck” moments before a sound) - More physical tension - Avoidance of certain sounds or words That shift often happens around 12–15 years old. So the timing you described (around 14) fits very closely with what we see clinically. Blocks aren’t “a different disorder.” They’re another form of stuttering. But they can feel very different because: - They involve more tension - They feel more sudden - They often come with anticipation and avoidance And once avoidance starts (like avoiding certain vowel sounds), the brain starts reinforcing that pattern. **2. Why it felt like it was disappearing before 14** Many children experience a reduction in overt stuttering around late primary school. A few reasons: - Natural developmental changes - Improved language organisation - Increased motor control - Social adaptation (you learn ways around it) But adolescence is a huge neurological and emotional shift: - Hormonal changes - Increased self-awareness - Social evaluation sensitivity - Cognitive changes (more abstract thinking, more internal monitoring) Stuttering can re-emerge or change form during that time. It doesn’t mean something is “wrong.” It means the system reorganised. **3. Fluent under pressure but blocking in normal situations** This is also very common. Many people who stutter report being: - Fluent during presentations - Fluent when reading aloud - Fluent when “on” - But more disfluent in casual, low-pressure situations Why? Because pressure sometimes shifts attention outward (performance mode) instead of inward (self-monitoring mode). Blocks often increase when: - You anticipate a sound - You internally monitor - You try to avoid or control speech Family settings are ironically where we monitor more because we care how we’re perceived. So this pattern does not rule out developmental stuttering. It actually fits with it. **4. Is it neurological? Psychological? Habit-based?** Developmental stuttering is neurodevelopmental at its core — differences in speech motor timing and coordination. But the expression of it is influenced by: - Emotional factors - Anticipation - Learned avoidance - Speech habits - Identity around stuttering So it’s not “just psychological.” And it’s not purely habit. It’s an interaction between brain wiring and learned patterns over time. What changed at 14 was likely: - Increased anticipation - Increased internal monitoring - Subtle tension patterns that turned repetitions into blocks Blocks often develop when someone tries to “hold back” a repetition. **5. The vowel pattern** Avoiding vowels is common because: -Vowels start many words - Word-initial sounds are high-risk for stuttering - Anticipation builds before them Once the brain tags a sound as “dangerous,” it can start blocking on it even when it previously didn’t. That’s a learned anticipation loop, not a new neurological disease. **6. The important part** What you described does not sound like a sudden acquired neurological condition. It sounds like: - Developmental stuttering - With a typical adolescent shift in symptom type - With increased anticipation and avoidance reinforcing blocks **7. What helps people in your situation** People with a similar pattern often benefit from: - Working on reducing avoidance (not swapping words) - Learning to move through blocks instead of fighting them - Voluntary stuttering practice (to reduce fear) - Desensitisation work - Speech motor timing techniques (gentle onset, continuous phonation) - Therapy that targets anticipation rather than just fluency The goal isn’t “perfect fluency.” It’s reducing tension and fear so blocks don’t escalate. **8. You’re not weird for feeling like it’s “different”** It feels different because: Repetitions = sound is coming out Blocks = nothing comes out Psychologically that feels more disruptive. But clinically, they’re both forms of stuttering. What you described is a very recognised developmental trajectory. It doesn’t automatically signal something degenerative or pathological. If it’s bothering you now at 18, this is actually a really good age to work with a speech pathologist who specialises in stuttering. Adolescence is when identity and speech patterns can be reshaped in a powerful way. And just to say — the fact that you can speak fluently under pressure is a really positive sign. That tells us your speech system is capable of fluency. The issue is variability and anticipation, not inability.