which explored what the author called the âhorizontal identitiesâ of those with a whole range of nonstandard conditions that have traditionally been stigmatised as disability. Just as weâve seen a movement for neurodiversity when it comes to people on the autism spectrum, Claypole says, we need to extend that idea to people with neurodiversity of language.
As Claypole argues, people with disfluency are often more creative and linguistically able than those without
The causes of these speech conditions are not fully understood. They seem to be primarily neurological, but their expression can be cultural and psychological. For those who stutter â a condition that seems to come and go capriciously â situational anxiety strongly affects how it manifests. The pathologisation of the condition â the idea that itâs something to be âcuredâ; the visible embarrassment it often causes in fluent interlocutors â does much, Claypole says, to exacerbate its negative effects and occlude its positive ones.