Overt and Covert Stammering

In any field, discipline, or area of interest, terms and labels are essential in order to make sense of things. Stammering is no exception! Two ‘labels’ that I’ve found particularly interesting are: ‘overt stammering’ and ‘covert stammering’. What is the difference between the two? Well, overt stuttering usually involves visible characteristics such as repetitions of words and blocks in speech. Covert stammering involves hidden aspects, such as negative feelings and behaviours such as avoidance of speaking situations. The issues associated with both overt and covert stuttering are illustrated fantastically in the renowned Iceberg Analogy of Stuttering (http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad6/papers/hicks6.html). This model was developed by Russ Hicks, a famous figure in the stuttering community (http://www.russhicks.com/). Please feel free to hit the links if you want to know more.