According to the diagnosogenic theory, stuttering can result from:

The diagnosogenic theory posits that stuttering arises from a misdiagnosis of normal speech disfluencies. This theory suggests that when normal disfluencies in a child's speech are incorrectly identified as stuttering by parents, teachers, or others, it can lead to increased anxiety and self-awareness about speech. This heightened awareness and concern can inadvertently cause the child to develop stuttering behaviors. Essentially, the theory emphasizes that the label of "stuttering" itself can interfere with a child's natural speech patterns, transforming typical disfluent speech into more noticeable stuttering.

The concept highlights the critical role that societal perceptions and reactions play in the development of stuttering. Consequently, this theory suggests that by understanding and normalizing typical speech disfluencies, the risk of stuttering could potentially be mitigated.

This understanding indicates that options involving cognitive deficits, miscalculation of speech timing, or lack of practice address different aspects of speech production and do not align with the core idea that the problem stems from a misinterpretation of normal speech variability.