What is a common recovery rate for individuals who stutter?

The recovery rate for individuals who stutter, notably in children, tends to be quite high, with estimates suggesting that 50-85% of children may eventually recover from stuttering without formal intervention. This high recovery rate is often attributed to factors such as the natural development of language skills, changes in the neurological processing of speech, and the overall maturation of the child.

During early childhood, stuttering is relatively common, and many children will go through periods of dysfluency as they develop their speech and language abilities. The 50-85% range reflects the real-world observation that while not all children will outgrow stuttering, a significant majority do tend to resolve the issue on their own as they grow older. This recovery can happen naturally, often characterized by a gradual decrease in the frequency and severity of stuttering episodes.

In contrast, the other response choices propose lower estimates or suggest an unrealistic expectation of recovery rates. The common understanding among speech-language pathologists and researchers is that while a percentage of individuals may experience stuttering into adulthood, the likelihood of recovery is robust during early development, which corresponds with the range provided in the correct answer.